AnimeSuki Forums

deathcurse · 2009-10-30, 17:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by RadiantBeam

And another short from yours truly! Co-written with Deathcurse this time around.

Basically we've had this short RP going back and forth in PM for awhile with Vivio and Lutecia, and Vivio made a comment about how she convinces Lutecia to snuggle with her to relax.

We then wondered, and this was born.

I apologize if it jumps around a bit.

Spoiler for Routine (slight NSFW):

Spoiler for Author's Notes:

Writing with DC was fun.

I'm amazed that such a long piece came from a tossaway comment!

And don't worry, last few lines were pretty much identical to the original version

.

Writing with RB's a blast!

.

Kaijo · 2009-10-30, 17:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by deathcurse

My problem with this is that he's a father. I can't see a father (unless he hated the relationship in the first place) agreeing to do anything of the sort to his children, even if he was ordered. I'd see Genya quitting the TSAB before he'd do something like that, since he really loves his kids.

Probably. I was thinking more along the lines of: he was given the information that they were blood-related, and told that it might look bad for the department, then he might split them up. Perhaps less "ordered" and more "subtly pushed" into doing what he's doing.

He wouldn't have necessarily been told that the higher-ups wanted the cyborgs to make babies with males.

TheShinySword · 2009-10-30, 18:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by RadiantBeam

And another short from yours truly! Co-written with Deathcurse this time around.

Basically we've had this short RP going back and forth in PM for awhile with Vivio and Lutecia, and Vivio made a comment about how she convinces Lutecia to snuggle with her to relax.

We then wondered, and this was born.

I apologize if it jumps around a bit.

Spoiler for Routine (slight NSFW):

Spoiler for Author's Notes:

Writing with DC was fun.

X3 awwww So nice

.... but there were a few lines in there...

Spoiler for And the Kaiser did say...:

Spoiler for Note:

deathcurse · 2009-10-30, 19:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheShinySword

Save Vivio! Or else I'll be forced to write about Vivio's Happy Days Of Fun Fun with Jail and the Numbers. *still thinks it would be lol if somehow Fate's being there meant Jail turned out not to be such a bad guy. Butterfly effect yo.*

XD Yes, Shiny, please!

The title of that alone is pure win!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kaijo

Probably. I was thinking more along the lines of: he was given the information that they were blood-related, and told that it might look bad for the department, then he might split them up. Perhaps less "ordered" and more "subtly pushed" into doing what he's doing.

He wouldn't have necessarily been told that the higher-ups wanted the cyborgs to make babies with males.

I still don't think that he'd do it because "it might look bad for the department"...maybe that it might traumatize them to find out that they were related? I'm not totally disagreeing with you, but I think that Genya's motives would have to be purely for the best interests of his kids, otherwise he really could care less. That's my thinking on it, anyhow

.

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheShinySword

X3 awwww So nice

.... but there were a few lines in there...

Spoiler for And the Kaiser did say...:

Spoiler for Note:

OMG Shiny, I love you! XD. I laughed like a nut, and if my roommates didn't already know that I was a little nutty they would have looked at me weirdly!

Nijiru · 2009-10-30, 19:14

@RB: "Where had she learned to do that?" From watching her mamas.

kaname08 · 2009-10-30, 19:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by Satashi

So its NanoFate? What's Shiro got to do with anything?

I can definitely see the Spoonful influence here.

Spoiler for omake?:

I loved it :3 really cute and funny!

He basically acts as a guinea pig first in terms of the usage of the pill. In short...his partner accidentally slips one of them in his drink. Later his partner explains what happened to Shamal. It is THERE when Nanoha overhears about it and vice versa.

Satashi · 2009-10-30, 21:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheShinySword

Spoiler for And the Kaiser did say...:

Spoiler for For you, Shiny.:

Quote:

He basically acts as a guinea pig first in terms of the usage of the pill. In short...his partner accidentally slips one of them in his drink. Later his partner explains what happened to Shamal. It is THERE when Nanoha overhears about it and vice versa.

So its a Fate/Nanoha bunny fest?

NeoSlicerZ · 2009-10-30, 22:15

I was reading the latest book in the Malazan Book of the Fallen and this... came to me. Guess I see Hayate as a Bonecaster/Shield Anvil and used that concept, not a crossover and yes, the Gladiator OST was playing.

Spoiler for One shot:

He danced, every movement effortless grace belying his solidly built frame. The skies were his to rule, to shape his will on beneath the glittering stars. His hands made seemingly flagrant gestures, legs pivoting to a melody only he could hear.

Beauty backlit by the burning of the broken city below, each flick of mana enshrouded limbs drew a picture amongst the swirling of runes of the highest of Belkan magical arts. Simultaneously inscribing a tangent to a parabolic arc, the corresponding arcane runes glowed. A feral grin ripped across his face at the accompanying shimmer of the standard casting array in front of him before it dispersed. Mana howled its arrival into the ether, a strobe light telling enemies “I am here, witness my wrath.” The spell signature could not be mistaken for anything else. Neither could the distinctive iridescent silver piercing the hazy clouds.

He paused for a moment, the fierce light from the shattering of innocent lives playing over his craggy features making him seem far older than over two centuries he had lived. Swiftly he ran a calloused hand through hair of the palest blonde, now faintly glowing red. His mind raced, taking in the situation. The evacuation was still progressing unhindered. The arcane glow of the protective field surrounding the starport and long distance translocation facilities assuaged his worries. His comrade in arms was aiding that, being less suited for this task.

The waltz of destruction resumed.

They came, streaking through the blackened sky. Curses and invocations upon their lips accompanying weapons of power, confidence oozed from their postures, they thought their success guaranteed. A multitude descending on one holding the line.

Foolish

He floated in the sky, the rock upon which the sea will break. Massive beams rippled out to touch with a lover’s caress, leaving naught in its passing.

[bI bid thee welcome into Oblivion[/b]

The return fire splattered across interleaved shields sloped around him. He had prepared well enough using his device to anchor the complex spell matrix, all he had to do was feed it power and he more than enough to spare. Mana concentrated into a haze of power in front of him. Joined to his essence, his most precious device ‘Hel’ warped his spell. She wove into the framework formed by his iron will, the creativity of the human mind enabled by machine precision. From the circular points of lazily spinning spell triangle issued a triplet of crackling beams, each independently seeking out targets. Those of which who were fast enough raised protections, in vain. The attack didn’t bother with finesse but simply crushed. A few managed to survive in spite of the overwhelming power. They fell back.

The sky was his alone once more.

An almost imperceptible frown creased his forehead. Two massive power signatures headed towards him, ones he knew well. He gritted his teeth and stepped up the tempo, abandoning the massive beams that swept the skies with pinpoint accuracy in favour of blanketing the region with tiny but still lethal pulses to discourage his lesser attackers’ return. He needed as few distractions as possible.

It took but a handful of moments before they arrived in front of him, the effects of his thunderous barrage still glowing in the air.

“I asked this of you before, but”

He was pre-empted, a sneer directed at him from with a violent shake of burnished crimson hair. Jade eyes stared at him with contempt.

“Still an old fool I see. We will not turn back. We will see this till the bitter end”

Beauty as such should not belong to such an ugly soul he thought briefly before he turned his attention to the blank expression of the azure haired giant beside the woman’s slight form. He searched those elfin features and felt his heart harden at the resolve he found in the glint of sky blue. Without a word the trio blurred into motion, the two bare nanoseconds after he started. He had expected nothing less from them.

He could not win, could not out fight them. They knew the other’s abilities and moves too well and they were not the hailed as the Swords of the Empire for no reason. He couldn’t outrun them even if he had a mind to. That didn’t matter - all he had to do though was not lose for a while. That in itself was victory.

The initial flurry of combat brought a strained grimace to his face when he used his staff of office to stave off the woman’s attacks, her flame wreathed spear stubbornly searching for his fragile flesh. The man stood off to one side, content to send scintillating blasts of power him. The defender grunted as he shoved the redhead back, his superior strength telling in the exchange before he went limp allowing gravity to drop him below another arcane attack.

Craggy feature stretched into a tight smile, enjoying the fight despite the seriousness of the situation. The small tight smile widened into a full blown grin when another familiar power signature erupted into existence. A mental command reconfigured his staff. He brandished the hand and a half sword in front of him, relishing the feeling of sweet overkill in his grasp. A power field over a fractal edge, it was made to kill.

He advanced, choosing to dictate the pace of battle. The look of frustration marring the redhead’s beauty was one he would remember, though the one of shock he put there shortly afterwards when his sword met adamantine forged by the best of artisans in the empire and sheared through. He did keep a few toys secret after all. In the corner of his vision he could see the flash of vibrant blonde hair and relief filled him.

He swung into a rhythm, peripherally conscious of where and what his backup was doing without having to see. He spared a brief moment of pride for his student. The grizzled man let up in his attack for a brief moment, shock filling him when he felt the death of his guard, his elite knights assigned to protect the evacuees. Swiftly he disengaged, sneaking a brief spell that shattered on her defenses. Hurriedly he invoked a spell, he had little time to spare.

Pain blossomed to life in his chest. His mind spun as he tried was on forcing the wobbling spell matrix to completion. A pained gasp bubbled out of his mouth when with its glow flickered then died, unknown if it would work or not.

Warmth was what he felt. Tiredly he looked up at a youthful face framed by blonde locks. His protégé’s left arm reaching around to hold him even as she pulled her right out of his back. She held back her emotions born of decades of learning from the man, the respect she still held for him turning victory to ashes in her mouth. She stared at him but was surprised to see neither shock nor anger simply... disappointment. Somehow the latter hurt more than the former would have.

“For the glory of Belka, we will rise again,” she forced out hoarsely.

“You are nothing... but my greatest failure,” he snorted mockingly, the action bringing bloody spittle to the surface. She averted her gaze from his dark blue eyes, fixing her stare on his forehead like she had done as a child.

“Still, I’m glad it was you,” he whispered.

“You taught me well,” she replied. “You could have joined us, the choice was there.” They both knew it was a pitiful attempt at assuaging her conscience.

“There was never was a choice but the one you made,” he fired back weakly. The mortally wounded man let his eyes slip close as he felt four souls slide into his embrace and be greeted by Hel, herself in as bad a condition as he was. He felt a small amount of comfort that they would live on, perhaps even remember him.

They were silent for an indeterminable moment before he sighed “I would still accept you into my embrace.”

She snapped her gaze back onto him, shock evident on her features. He met her eyes evenly through slowly closing eyelids, smiling inside at her reaction.

“It is not my place to judge who to accept into my embrace, whose pain I take away.”

The Sankt Kaiser stayed there frozen, not noticing that her fellow Kings had long left to finish their business, staring at where her mentor’s corpse had laid in her arms before it vanished in a shimmer of icy blue.

She bolted awake, the lingering feelings from her vivid dream sent her heart rate rocketing. A quick glance around reassured her of where she was, who she was, that she didn’t have a bloody hole through her chest. Slowly she slid out of silken sheets to find the small golden form of her device resting on her table before hesitantly taking it in her hand. Looking into her bedroom mirror, she stared at her reflection trying to banish the thoughts the increasingly detailed and vivid dreams brought. A futile effort, the eyes were truly the window to the soul and what she saw. Oh, what she saw staring back at her, the pale blonde hair and winter blue eyes she knew well, the aged grizzled features, those were new. She took a stilted breath and then saw beyond her reflection, beyond his, she saw a line of her predecessors leading back since before the founding of Belka. The stylized cross’ points indented in her tight grip when the superimposed image smiled slightly and opened its mouth.

“We are free,” whispered to her ears, a message born of millennia of diligent duty and experience, delivered across time uncounted.

Hayate gazed unseeing, plagued by the memory of vivid red and scintillating green, the last memory bequeathed from the last Master of the Tome of the Night Sky, Shield of the Belkan Empire.

kaname08 · 2009-10-30, 23:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by Satashi

Spoiler for For you, Shiny.:

So its a Fate/Nanoha bunny fest?

For the most part. However...I might just add what happened between Shiro, Mizuki, and her older sister at the end, but for the most part...yes...it's mainly a Fate/Nanoha bunny fest.

Satashi · 2009-10-31, 10:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by RadiantBeam

And another short from yours truly! Co-written with Deathcurse this time around.

Basically we've had this short RP going back and forth in PM for awhile with Vivio and Lutecia, and Vivio made a comment about how she convinces Lutecia to snuggle with her to relax.

We then wondered, and this was born.

I apologize if it jumps around a bit.

Spoiler for Routine (slight NSFW):

Spoiler for Author's Notes:

Writing with DC was fun.

Poor Vivio got shot down in her advances :3 Nice writing, I generally never cared for Lutecia/Vivio but this is cute ^_^

DezoPenguin · 2009-10-31, 13:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nanya01

Okay, guys and girls!

It's that time again!

RadiantBeam and I have completed...

Day in the Life

Chapter 28

Ginga

PS: With all apologies to Genya fans out there.

Spoiler for Ginga:

Spoiler for Notes:

And, wow, only 1 post this time! o_o A shocking rarity!

Heh...this must have been soothing to RB's soul after all the fluffy ViCia stuff she's been doing lately!!

I have to say, though, Genya's motivations kind of confuse me, not so much in the general terms but in the specific.

For example, it's pretty clear that he's not worried about the genetic issues concerning a potential Ginga/Nove child. Any offspring of such a union would have to come through some variant of genetic engineering technology, and it would certainly be possible to adjust for any potential defects caused by the mingling of their specific genetics.

And similarly, Ginga and Nove were never raised as sisters (indeed, they were never together at all, so they're "sisters" only in a genetic sense, not even in a "separated at birth" kind of direct-biological sense) so there's no question of the emotions involved. Indeed, Wendi and Nove would be the pair more likely to invoke the Westermark Effect and not be interested in one another sexually; it can, however, be attributed to Jail's highly unconventional upbringing of the Numbers that they wouldn't form a bond of that kind so this can be shrugged off.

In any event, that leaves only the gut-instinct reaction of Genya to the incest taboo in the Oedipus-and-Jocasta, "it's wrong because it's wrong!!" sense of things. But if he was so squicked by that concept, I'd have thought he'd want to stop what was happening between them right away, immediately, right from the first, preferably before they end up in bed together. The "hoping they'd break up naturally" reasoning doesn't apply if his motivations were an objection to the fundamental concept. If he has a moral objection to incest (heh, I love how in a discussion like this we can toss the word "if" into that sentence as if that was the dubious side!

) then he shouldn't be really thinking, "Well, okay, you can bang your sister a few times then break up with her, and that's okay, but I don't want it becoming something permanent!"

I suppose that he could have been concerned, not so much on a moral level, but for the potential problems that could be created if they were in a permanent relationship and that information fell into other, hostile hands. A lesbian menage-a-trois is an unusual enough relationship by itself without adding incest to the mix; it's a pretty good bet that the "sexual deviant" label would get slapped on them very, very fast by their political enemies and they could kiss their future career hopes good-bye. "But...but we weren't raised together!" works fine for the audience of fics and for close friends and family, but not so much for the person in the next cubicle or whom you're talking sports with at the water cooler. In that case, the break-up would solve most of the potential problems.

In that case, though, it doesn't make sense that he didn't tell them why he wanted them to break up until more or less roped into it (yay, smart friends!).

Now, there is one possible motivation which explains both the nine-month wait and his reluctance to expose them to the truth: that he wasn't squicked by the incest per se, and that he wasn't concerned about outsiders, but that as a father his real worries were the psychological shock and impact on Ginga and Nove if they were to find out. Going back to Oedipus again, we may all recall that Jocasta's reaction on finding out that she'd married her son was to go and hang herself. Now, that is the kind of thing that a father would definitely be afraid of. It would explain why he'd want to let things die out on their own first (because he was aware that if he did try to butt in, then exactly the kind of hurt and suffering that ensued would happen, and he didn't want to cause that), and why he wouldn't tell them why he wanted the breakup (because having them mad at him was fine, having them despondent over their own relationship, not fine--that is, he was willing to be the object of their anger rather than let them suffer). The only down side there is that if that was where he was coming from, then he'd have fought Tea and Teela harder... It also explains why he picked on Ginga to be the odd one out; it didn't really matter to him which sister got left out of the relationship so long as one did, but not only does his word carry more weight with Ginga she's also far more well-adjusted, psychologically, than Nove and therefore more able to deal with the breakup without having Wendi around to comfort her.

Subaru, Tea, and Teela were all great in this chapter, of course. And you as authors get huge props for having Ginga treat this like a serious issue and deciding to take some time to think things over before coming to a conclusion instead of simply saying, "Of course I'll stay with you!" or "Heck, I've always had an incest fetish but Subaru would never go for it"

I really enjoy seeing characters take serious issues seriously and not have the solutions be quick and easy (again, the fact that Wendi and Nove did have the quick reaction speaks to their lack of emotional maturity, factors which are very suited to the Numbers as they've been established).

All in all, a very effective chapter, with the heartstrings not just tugged, but yanked out of the chest, mounted on a violin, and sad, lamenting music played on them.

RadiantBeam · 2009-10-31, 13:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by DezoPenguin

All in all, a very effective chapter, with the heartstrings not just tugged, but yanked out of the chest, mounted on a violin, and sad, lamenting music played on them.

It was my idea.

DezoPenguin · 2009-10-31, 14:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by RadiantBeam

It was my idea.

Angsty girl is angsty!

RadiantBeam · 2009-10-31, 14:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by DezoPenguin

Angsty girl is angsty!

I call myself the Angst Addict for a reason.

Keroko · 2009-10-31, 17:04

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nanya01

Okay, guys and girls!

It's that time again!

RadiantBeam and I have completed...

Day in the Life

Chapter 28

Ginga

PS: With all apologies to Genya fans out there.

Spoiler for Ginga:

Spoiler for Notes:

And, wow, only 1 post this time! o_o A shocking rarity!

... I tried. I really did. I've been restraining myself ever since the 'injured Yuuno' scenario, but with all this delicious Nakajima drama I couldn't hold back from throwing in Eden with a little bit of my own writing any more.

Spoiler for Calling the wayward daughter:

Short, I know, but it was all I could manage at these late hours.

synaesthetic · 2009-10-31, 19:19

In a vain attempt to re-ignite my writing spark which has been very, very dead, I present to thee... a short! A snippet! A little piece of Reborn: A Magical War Chronicle for your general consumption!

Spoiler for Holy crap Batman, it's a Nena short!:

Spoiler for Author's Notes:

DezoPenguin · 2009-10-31, 19:53

Happy Halloween, everyone! Here's a (hopefully) amusing ghost!Arisa short to celebrate with while you're all horking down candy (and if you're not in a country that celebrates Halloween...heck, hork down candy anyway!

).

Spoiler for Should've Noticed the Lack of Sparkles:

Spoiler for Author's Notes:

SulliMike23 · 2009-10-31, 20:14

Happy Halloween folks, and I hope things go well for everyone.

Rising Dragon · 2009-10-31, 20:26

... no vampire!Fate from Satashi to mark the occasion?? No new Bag Brothers?? I guess I'll have to go read Spinel Heart and V!F again...

DezoPenguin · 2009-10-31, 20:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by synaesthetic

In a vain attempt to re-ignite my writing spark which has been very, very dead, I present to thee... a short! A snippet! A little piece of Reborn: A Magical War Chronicle for your general consumption!

Spoiler for Holy crap Batman, it's a Nena short!:

Spoiler for Author's Notes:

Good short! Really, the only thing I have trouble with is Fate's lack of response to Nena killing the comm officer. Obviously, this is taking place within the context of a "people are getting killed out here" war setting rather than a police action where standards apply, but...she's Fate, after all; she's adopted Nanoha's ethics not so much as ethical standards in and of themself but as articles of faith. Of course, since I haven't read the last couple of chapters of the major fic since you announced it was going to rewrite, for all I know, that particular bridge has been crossed already...

Stuff I like:

A Yuuno sighting! (Though, um, his name's still "Scrya"--it just sounds like it ought to be "Scryer") Better yet, a Yuuno sighting in which he's been given a nice, juicy research mystery to sink his teeth into; I'm interested already.

Chrono! Heh, for obvious reasons, I approve completely of Chrono being the guy sending out missions with a pragmatic attitude. Of all the franchise characters, he's the one I'd consider best suited for the running of an actual, y'know, war.

I loved the bit where the lieutenant was thinking about how the attacking mage would have to stop to unleash anything to seriously hurt him. Here's a solid case of somebody who just isn't used to dealing with extreme-ranked mages (which, to be fair, are supposed to be a lot rarer than we actually see them in the series): I can think of examples off the top of my head where Nanoha, Chrono, and Signum have all stacked attacks in advance.

I'm intrigued by the team's armor and communications technology, grounded in mundane science rather than magic but obviously operating in the sci-fi scale of operations. Clearly there's a story there I'd be interested in hearing more about.

Thanks for posting, and glad to hear the writing urge is back!

2009-10-31, 19:19	Link #18196
synaesthetic blinded by blood Author Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Oakland, CA Age: 40	In a vain attempt to re-ignite my writing spark which has been very, very dead, I present to thee... a short! A snippet! A little piece of Reborn: A Magical War Chronicle for your general consumption! Spoiler for Holy crap Batman, it's a Nena short!: It was as if a hurricane had blown through the small, secret military installation. The bodies of dozens of guards dressed in an unusual uniform lay scattered about. Rapidly darkening blood pooled thickly on the tarmac. "Sector sweep, clear. Fifteen targets neutralized," the armored trooper said aloud, his communication system picking up the confirmation and piping it directly to his unit commander. The other two soldiers with him, all wearing a lightweight suit of recon-class power-assisted armor, waited impatiently, their fingers hovering anxiously over the triggers of their linear rifles. "Did they manage to raise an alarm, Lieutenant?" "No, sir. Signal jammers were in place; their primitive communications equipment could not penetrate it. Nobody knows this installation has been taken." "Excellent. This is a non-administrated world," the commander's voice came back, "and there's no Bureau presence here whatsoever. The local military forces don't stand a chance against us." "Thank you, sir," the soldier responded smartly. "Your orders?" "Rendezvous with the collection team. Maintain vigilance and protect the collection team as they secure the artifact. We cannot allow the Bureau to obtain it." "Yes, sir!" "Lieutenant," one of the recon troopers spoke up, "there's something strange showing up on my sensors. It doesn't read like anything else I've ever seen before." "What do you mean?" "The signature is similar to that of a Modern Belkan Armed Device... but it's extremely faint. As if the Device's mana has been completely exhausted and it only has enough power left to maintain the limited artificial intelligence." "That is odd, Corporal," the lieutenant remarked. "Intelligence reports suggest that there were once Midchildan mages present on this world, during two previous incidents... but a Modern Belkan Device?" "If it was the Bureau, they'd be here in force," the other soldier remarked gruffly. "What are the coordinates of this anomaly?" The corporal rattled off a string of numbers, which were quickly keyed into a holographic interface by the gruff-voiced soldier. It was impossible to tell, of course, behind the powered armor's mirrored visor, but the lieutenant could have sworn he saw the man's eyes widen. "It's getting closer," the gruff-voiced soldier responded warily. "The signal... doubled? I'm detecting something else now..." "If the signal is that weak, the mage in question must be injured and their Device damaged," the lieutenant said irritably. "They may have ran afoul of the guards just as we did." "Life-sign sensors show nothing," the corporal reported. "Nevertheless," the lieutenant remarked, unlimbering his linear rifle from the holding clamps on his backpack, "we should still be careful. I'm going to report this to the commander." "Lieutenant, my communications are down," the corporal said, his voice betraying his nervousness. "We're being jammed? That isn't possible," the lieutenant said adamantly. "The humans on this world don't have the technology to jam subspace radios." "The strange Device signals we picked up?" "Could be. Stay alert, gentlemen. The collection team should arrive in twenty." "Lieutenant! I'm detecting a high-energy discharge! The readings are off the cha--" The lieutenant's jaw dropped behind the visor of his helmet as a violet-white beam of incandescent death seemingly materialized through the body of his communications officer. The corporal was killed mid-sentence as the beam of accelerated, energetic particles blasted through his body and breached the small microfusion reactor contained within the backpack unit. The shockwave knocked the lieutenant and the gruff-voiced soldier from their feet, sending them sliding across the smooth floor, dazed but relatively unharmed. The soldiers were well-trained and shook off their surprise, quickly leaping to their feet with preternatural quickness. Linear rifles were out and ready as the two soldiers instinctively ran for cover. "What the hell was that, Lieutenant?!" "Particle beam rifle," the lieutenant responded grimly. "It's not a magic-based weapon at all. "I know who we're up against." "Where is he? That jamming field is too strong, I can't get a reading on anything--" The lieutenant cursed aloud as his own sensors suddenly detected an immense spike of magical conversion. A barrage of brilliant yellow bullets of magical energy slammed into the other soldier's armor, exploding with concussive thunderclaps. The shots themselves weren't terribly damaging--even the recon-grade powered armor was potent enough to ward off an attack of this level. But the constant micro-detonations had pretty much pinned the man down where he was. The lieutenant figured that the attacking mage would have to stop their barrage of weak attacks in order to let loose with something that could seriously hurt him, and the sniper... The sniper would be hunting him. The lieutenant frowned darkly, wishing that his communications officer had detected the unusual Device signature thirty seconds earlier. But what was done was done and the recon unit had no choice but to fight until the collection team finished their task. Something wasn't right. The sniper should have already fired--these walls, even reinforced against heavy armor-piercing slugs, would be like tissue paper against a particle beam weapon, even a man-portable model. The lieutenant didn't take long to tumble to the fact that the Bureau people wanted to take them alive. Well, that would not be possible--the lieutenant and his remaining soldier had dispatch pills and were under strict orders to take their own lives if it came to that-- "[Plasma Smasher]." A column of blinding golden magic blazed into existence around the lieutenant, the force of the attack slamming his body into the hard concrete below him. His powered armor was well-designed and could withstand incredible forces directed against him, but it was a lightweight suit and had never been designed to withstand such a powerful attack. Sparks shot from the backpack unit as the microfusion reactor shut down and vented plasma to avoid a critical breach and explosion. The attack suddenly stopped, the wide swath of magical destruction suddenly ceasing. Astonishingly the lieutenant was still conscious--but he could barely move. Without the tiny servos and myoelectric polymer cables that powered the movements of the suit, his own muscles just weren't up to the task. Even the recon-grade suit weighed at least three hundred pounds including the backpack reactor. Without suit power, he couldn't move his arm enough to open his visor and take out the dispatch pill. From his prone vantage point the lieutenant could only see a pair of armor-plated boots and a pair of shapely legs encased in opaque black fabric. A wicked-looking Intelligent Device with a bright yellow central "eye" stared down at him menacingly. "Don't move a muscle," a feminine voice snarled threateningly. "You're under arrest." --- "The collection team surrendered without a fight," Nena Ashley reported in a flat tone. The blond woman, younger than Nena by several years but very obviously higher-ranking within the Bureau, nodded absently. "Archer, open a channel to Admiral Harlaown," the red-haired woman commanded. "Yes, ma'am," the Device brain's masculine voice said snappily, processing the command and opening a communications link to the Admiral. The heavily-modified neutron rifle in her hands had been equipped with the limited AI of a Modern Belkan Armed Device, despite the weapon's roots in "violent" non-magical technology. It was a curious blend of the gentle and the brutal, thought Nena idly as the secure connection was established. "Ah, Nena," a rich male voice came over the communications line, a holographic display projected by Archer's Device brain materializing before her. The man on the other end of the line was Admiral Chrono Harlaown, a hero of the Time-Space Administration Bureau and a savvy commander who controlled much of the Bureau's navy. He was also Nena's boss. "Mission complete, Admiral," the redheaded mercenary reported. "The recon unit has been defeated--two dead, one taken prisoner. The collection team was apprehended without resistance." "The Lost Logia secured?" "Bardiche has it," the blond woman spoke up, walking over to stand beside Nena, staring at the admiral through the video communication window. "It's sealed down pretty tightly." "Good work, Fate, Nena," Admiral Harlaown said. "I trust you had no problems working as a team, yes?" "None at all," Fate replied agreeably, though her expression told another story. It would be a long time before they would start to trust her, Nena knew. The Admiral kept her on a fairly short leash--but the mercenary knew that Admiral Harlaown was not the type of person who trusted anyone outside of his own rigorously defined circle of friends. And so Nena was often sent on missions with an escort. She was often partnered with the taciturn Captain Harlaown, whose own distaste at being ordered to work alongside a mercenary was painfully obvious. "I'm sending somone to collect the Lost Logia," the admiral continued, snapping Nena out of her private thoughts and pulling her back to the mission at hand. "He will take possession of it and study it personally. Stand by to receive a transfer." "Yes, sir," Fate responded curtly, turning away as the communications link was shut off. With Bardiche gripped in her hands, Nena thought the younger Harlaown looked as if she was disappointed the fight had been over so quickly. A flash of green-white magical energy bespoke the incoming transfer. Nena's eyes focused on the newcomer, a young man of average height with long, straight blond hair pulled back in a loose ponytail with a green ribbon. The man wore a pair of wire-rimmed glasses and carried a thick datapad in one hand. He had a distinctly academic look about him. "Yuuno! What are you doing here?" The man named Yuuno let out a nervous little laugh and smiled at the sight of his old friend. "Well, you know I'm the closest thing the Bureau has to an expert on Lost Logia... but who's this with you?" Yuuno's green eyes locked on Nena suspiciously, his gaze lingering on the rifle in her hands and the automatic pistol holstered at her waist. "Nena Ashley," Nena said by way of greeting, extending her right hand, keeping Archer balanced on her left shoulder. "I work for Admiral Harlaown." "Yuuno Scryer," the blond man said, extending his hand to shake Nena's. "I've heard a lot about you from Nanoha and Fate." "All of it bad, I'm sure," Nena said slyly. She could almost feel Fate, standing next to her, go rigid at the comment. The Enforcer couldn't quite keep a faint blush off her cheeks as she glared daggers at the mercenary. "Where's the Lost Logia?" Yuuno asked, trying hard to ignore the not-so-subtle ambivalence between the two women. "Bardiche has it," Fate replied in a low tone. "Bardiche, let's see it." "[Put Out]." Yuuno peered at the small crystalline shard as it emerged from the dimensional pocket Fate's Intelligent Device had sealed it up inside. It didn't appear to be active-- The magical researcher manifested a green Midchildan spell circle as he began to run several magical tests, casting detection spells and lore spells on the fragment. The two women watched, entranced, as the male mage went about his work with eerie efficiency and precision. After several minutes had passed, it was clear that Yuuno had discovered all he could without taking the Lost Logia back to the Bureau's headquarters. "This is a fragment," Yuuno said with conviction. "I don't know what of, but it's a piece of some type of Lost Logia. And whatever it is... it's extremely powerful." "That explains why the invasion force is looking for it," Fate agreed, "but why is it here, on Earth?" "I don't know," Yuuno replied grimly, "but this is important. This fragment--and the rest of whatever it is that this was a part of--could be the reason behind the whole war." "Wars have been started over much less in the past," said Nena coolly. "Seal it down good and let's get out of here before these guys come looking for their missing recon and collection teams." "What about--" Yuuno began, but Fate cut him off. "My brother said he'd be leaving a detachment of Enforcers here to make sure the invaders don't cause any more trouble here on Earth. The destruction at this installation won't go unnoticed for long and the Americans should be put on their guard." "They don't stand much of a chance against the invaders' tech," Nena pointed out truthfully. "But I doubt they'll stick around here once they figure out that we've got their prize." "It's just a precautionary measure," Fate said defensively. "Some of us don't like to let people die when it's not necessary." "It's war. People die in war," Nena said flippantly, the comment and her tone causing Fate's eyes to narrow dangerously. Yuuno laughed nervously and interjected himself between the two women, noticing the obvious tension there. "Let's just get out of here, okay? We don't want to be here when the American military shows up at this place with all guns blazing." Spoiler for Author's Notes: It feels good to break the block! Yes, Yuuno is definitely going to be a major character in this continuation of Nena's story. At first I wanted to pair up Nena with Teana for some delicious Foe/Les Yay. But when I wrote it that way to begin with, I thought, if Chrono didn't really trust Nena, he'd pair her up with someone strong enough to take her out if she went rogue. Of the mages that can do that, Fate was the most suited for this sort of sneaky operation. Signum, Vita and Subaru could take her down, but they're more suited for general mayhem than subterfuge. Nena really enjoys needling Miss Law & Order, Enforcer Captain Harlaown. ^^; __________________ Indie science fiction author and all-around weirdo: Check out my original fiction here! Read an excerpt from my sci-fi novel Binary System!

2009-10-31, 19:53	Link #18197
DezoPenguin Beta by Accident Author Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Maine Age: 52	Happy Halloween, everyone! Here's a (hopefully) amusing ghost!Arisa short to celebrate with while you're all horking down candy (and if you're not in a country that celebrates Halloween...heck, hork down candy anyway! ). Spoiler for Should've Noticed the Lack of Sparkles: The business card read "Abraham Arminius, M.D., Ph. D., Budapest," but the accent of his Japanese suggested somewhere other than Eastern Europe for his place of origin—the Netherlands, perhaps. He was a stout man, white-bearded and rosy-cheeked, with more than a touch of Father Christmas in his look. His dark, pinstriped three-piece suit was very neat and immaculately pressed, and a silver watch-chain glinted in the light when he moved. "So, Dr. Arminius," Arisa Bannings said, "what can I do for you?" The blonde college student regarded him calmly. She was curious as to why her European History professor had asked her to meet with this old friend of his, and why he'd chosen this small, private conference room in the library for the meeting. Maybe he just had a taste for the theatrical—the room, with its high bookcases and polished dark wood furniture resembled the study of some Victorian manor house rather than a modern room in twenty-first-century Japan. "Ah, that. Did my good friend Professor Murasaki made known to you my purpose?" Arisa shook her head. "Not at all. He just said that you were an old friend of his who wanted to talk with me and asked if I'd do it as a favor." "Then explain I will. Please, sit down." He gestured at the chair opposite him, and Arisa sat. With old-world politeness, he waited for her, then sat too. "What I am about to say, it may seem fantastic, but I assure you it be true," Arminius began. "Heard of it you have, perhaps, the legend of the vampire?" He imparted the word somehow with an air of menace and terror, of a hidden, unfathomable fear lurking in the night. Arisa's response did not exactly capture that tone. "Um, yeah. Dracula movies since I was a kid, then pretty much every bestselling young adult novel series is about vampires, about one in five romance novels features one as the hero, and they're all over manga. Heck, one of my best friends' older brother told us about one of those erotic video games that he'd played where the winning girl was a vampire. Honestly, Dr. Arminius, I'd say pretty much everybody on the planet knows all about vampires." Arminius actually looked taken aback by that news, though Arisa couldn't understand why. Surely he hadn't somehow missed the concept. "Gott in Himmel," he switched to German for no apparent reason. "News, then, these things to you will not be." "We're here to talk about vampires," Arisa said dubiously. "Ja, ja. The Un-Dead! Difficult to imagine, I know--" "You do know that there's a whole subculture of people that like to play at being vampires, right? Even down to drinking blood?" He flinched again. Clearly he wasn't up on the roles of vampires in modern culture. Weirdo, Arisa decided. Definitely a weirdo. "You speak of people, though, ja? With sexual fetishes, deviants they are only, ja?" Arisa scowled. Being in a lesbian relationship had given her a new appreciation of the value of tolerance with regard to other people's sex lives. Arminius, though, was already moving on to the next part of what seemed more and more like a prepared speech. "Vampires, though, people they are not. They are creatures horribly trapped between life and death. Condemned they are to walk the earth, subsisting on a meal of human gore." "That reminds me, I need to get cinnamon rolls on the way home." "Eat and drink as others they do not!" "You're telling me," Arisa muttered sotto voce. "Who eats pineapple, garlic, and anchovy pizza with barbecue sauce?" "Soulless creatures they are, who cast no shadow. No, nor reflection in mirror do they possess!" Arminius reached out and yanked the cord of the curtained window next to the table. Only it wasn't a window, but a large, framed mirror, which revealed the entire room—except Arisa, of course, who hadn't had a reflection since she died. "Fiend! Into my trap, fallen have you!" Arminius screeched, jumping to his feet. He thrust a large silver crucifix towards her with his left hand while his right fished a flask out of his coat pocket. "Daylight, it is, when you have no power to change your shape to wolf or mist or moonlight and escape!" "So we're filing you away under 'complete lunatic,' I'm guessing?" Arminius twisted the cap off the flask with a flex of his thumb and dashed the contents straight into Arisa's face. "Burn, foul creature of the night!" Arisa wiped the liquid—holy water, she was guessing—from her face on the back of her sleeve. "Geez, can this get any more lame?" "Fiend! I will end this poor girl's suffering!" He dropped the flask, reached into his coat, and pulled out a short, sharpened wooden stake with a fire-hardened point. "You're not just a lunatic, you're a dangerous lunatic. Do you go around sticking those things into people?" In the next instant he answered that he did, in fact, do just that by stabbing Arisa in the chest. She sighed. "You are such an idiot. For the first point, real vampires have things like muscles and bones. You can't just stab them with a pointy stick and expect to hit the heart like on TV. For a second thing, you obviously wouldn't know a vampire if one bit you on the ass. And for a third thing, I'm not a vampire, you moron." She pulled the stake out of her chest. The holes in her skin and her shirt alike closed up at once. There was no sign of blood. She dug her cell phone out of her purse. "Now, you just sit back down while I call the nice people in the white coats to take you somewhere quiet and peaceful for you to get a long rest, and then I'm going to have a good long talk with Professor Murasaki about why he wanted me to meet with a crazy man who tried to kill me. I'll show him what it means to deal with something a lot scarier than any vampire." "What...what...In God's name, what are you?" Arisa flashed him a smug grin. "A future law student!" Spoiler for Author's Notes: 1. Bram Stoker must have been ripping his hair out after one chapter of trying to keep up with Van Helsing's accent! Gah! 2. Cinnamon rolls are obviously a Vampire!Fate reference. 3. Yes, Kyouya apparently played Triangle Heart 3. Let's hope for his sake he picked Shinobu's route ("No, really, sweetheart, I'm only playing through Miyuki's route to unlock yours!"). 4. Arminius's name and city of residence came from Dracula; he was listed as Van Helsing's old friend in the book.

2009-10-31, 20:26	Link #18199
Rising Dragon Goat Herder Author Join Date: Jun 2008 Age: 36	... no vampire!Fate from Satashi to mark the occasion?? No new Bag Brothers?? I guess I'll have to go read Spinel Heart and V!F again... __________________

2009-10-30, 19:14	Link #18185
Nijiru Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Alberta, Canada	@RB: "Where had she learned to do that?" From watching her mamas.

2009-10-30, 22:15	Link #18188
NeoSlicerZ Member Join Date: Jan 2006	I was reading the latest book in the Malazan Book of the Fallen and this... came to me. Guess I see Hayate as a Bonecaster/Shield Anvil and used that concept, not a crossover and yes, the Gladiator OST was playing. Spoiler for One shot: He danced, every movement effortless grace belying his solidly built frame. The skies were his to rule, to shape his will on beneath the glittering stars. His hands made seemingly flagrant gestures, legs pivoting to a melody only he could hear. Beauty backlit by the burning of the broken city below, each flick of mana enshrouded limbs drew a picture amongst the swirling of runes of the highest of Belkan magical arts. Simultaneously inscribing a tangent to a parabolic arc, the corresponding arcane runes glowed. A feral grin ripped across his face at the accompanying shimmer of the standard casting array in front of him before it dispersed. Mana howled its arrival into the ether, a strobe light telling enemies “I am here, witness my wrath.” The spell signature could not be mistaken for anything else. Neither could the distinctive iridescent silver piercing the hazy clouds. He paused for a moment, the fierce light from the shattering of innocent lives playing over his craggy features making him seem far older than over two centuries he had lived. Swiftly he ran a calloused hand through hair of the palest blonde, now faintly glowing red. His mind raced, taking in the situation. The evacuation was still progressing unhindered. The arcane glow of the protective field surrounding the starport and long distance translocation facilities assuaged his worries. His comrade in arms was aiding that, being less suited for this task. The waltz of destruction resumed. They came, streaking through the blackened sky. Curses and invocations upon their lips accompanying weapons of power, confidence oozed from their postures, they thought their success guaranteed. A multitude descending on one holding the line. Foolish He floated in the sky, the rock upon which the sea will break. Massive beams rippled out to touch with a lover’s caress, leaving naught in its passing. [bI bid thee welcome into Oblivion[/b] The return fire splattered across interleaved shields sloped around him. He had prepared well enough using his device to anchor the complex spell matrix, all he had to do was feed it power and he more than enough to spare. Mana concentrated into a haze of power in front of him. Joined to his essence, his most precious device ‘Hel’ warped his spell. She wove into the framework formed by his iron will, the creativity of the human mind enabled by machine precision. From the circular points of lazily spinning spell triangle issued a triplet of crackling beams, each independently seeking out targets. Those of which who were fast enough raised protections, in vain. The attack didn’t bother with finesse but simply crushed. A few managed to survive in spite of the overwhelming power. They fell back. The sky was his alone once more. An almost imperceptible frown creased his forehead. Two massive power signatures headed towards him, ones he knew well. He gritted his teeth and stepped up the tempo, abandoning the massive beams that swept the skies with pinpoint accuracy in favour of blanketing the region with tiny but still lethal pulses to discourage his lesser attackers’ return. He needed as few distractions as possible. It took but a handful of moments before they arrived in front of him, the effects of his thunderous barrage still glowing in the air. “I asked this of you before, but” He was pre-empted, a sneer directed at him from with a violent shake of burnished crimson hair. Jade eyes stared at him with contempt. “Still an old fool I see. We will not turn back. We will see this till the bitter end” Beauty as such should not belong to such an ugly soul he thought briefly before he turned his attention to the blank expression of the azure haired giant beside the woman’s slight form. He searched those elfin features and felt his heart harden at the resolve he found in the glint of sky blue. Without a word the trio blurred into motion, the two bare nanoseconds after he started. He had expected nothing less from them. He could not win, could not out fight them. They knew the other’s abilities and moves too well and they were not the hailed as the Swords of the Empire for no reason. He couldn’t outrun them even if he had a mind to. That didn’t matter - all he had to do though was not lose for a while. That in itself was victory. The initial flurry of combat brought a strained grimace to his face when he used his staff of office to stave off the woman’s attacks, her flame wreathed spear stubbornly searching for his fragile flesh. The man stood off to one side, content to send scintillating blasts of power him. The defender grunted as he shoved the redhead back, his superior strength telling in the exchange before he went limp allowing gravity to drop him below another arcane attack. Craggy feature stretched into a tight smile, enjoying the fight despite the seriousness of the situation. The small tight smile widened into a full blown grin when another familiar power signature erupted into existence. A mental command reconfigured his staff. He brandished the hand and a half sword in front of him, relishing the feeling of sweet overkill in his grasp. A power field over a fractal edge, it was made to kill. He advanced, choosing to dictate the pace of battle. The look of frustration marring the redhead’s beauty was one he would remember, though the one of shock he put there shortly afterwards when his sword met adamantine forged by the best of artisans in the empire and sheared through. He did keep a few toys secret after all. In the corner of his vision he could see the flash of vibrant blonde hair and relief filled him. He swung into a rhythm, peripherally conscious of where and what his backup was doing without having to see. He spared a brief moment of pride for his student. The grizzled man let up in his attack for a brief moment, shock filling him when he felt the death of his guard, his elite knights assigned to protect the evacuees. Swiftly he disengaged, sneaking a brief spell that shattered on her defenses. Hurriedly he invoked a spell, he had little time to spare. Pain blossomed to life in his chest. His mind spun as he tried was on forcing the wobbling spell matrix to completion. A pained gasp bubbled out of his mouth when with its glow flickered then died, unknown if it would work or not. Warmth was what he felt. Tiredly he looked up at a youthful face framed by blonde locks. His protégé’s left arm reaching around to hold him even as she pulled her right out of his back. She held back her emotions born of decades of learning from the man, the respect she still held for him turning victory to ashes in her mouth. She stared at him but was surprised to see neither shock nor anger simply... disappointment. Somehow the latter hurt more than the former would have. “For the glory of Belka, we will rise again,” she forced out hoarsely. “You are nothing... but my greatest failure,” he snorted mockingly, the action bringing bloody spittle to the surface. She averted her gaze from his dark blue eyes, fixing her stare on his forehead like she had done as a child. “Still, I’m glad it was you,” he whispered. “You taught me well,” she replied. “You could have joined us, the choice was there.” They both knew it was a pitiful attempt at assuaging her conscience. “There was never was a choice but the one you made,” he fired back weakly. The mortally wounded man let his eyes slip close as he felt four souls slide into his embrace and be greeted by Hel, herself in as bad a condition as he was. He felt a small amount of comfort that they would live on, perhaps even remember him. They were silent for an indeterminable moment before he sighed “I would still accept you into my embrace.” She snapped her gaze back onto him, shock evident on her features. He met her eyes evenly through slowly closing eyelids, smiling inside at her reaction. “It is not my place to judge who to accept into my embrace, whose pain I take away.” The Sankt Kaiser stayed there frozen, not noticing that her fellow Kings had long left to finish their business, staring at where her mentor’s corpse had laid in her arms before it vanished in a shimmer of icy blue. She bolted awake, the lingering feelings from her vivid dream sent her heart rate rocketing. A quick glance around reassured her of where she was, who she was, that she didn’t have a bloody hole through her chest. Slowly she slid out of silken sheets to find the small golden form of her device resting on her table before hesitantly taking it in her hand. Looking into her bedroom mirror, she stared at her reflection trying to banish the thoughts the increasingly detailed and vivid dreams brought. A futile effort, the eyes were truly the window to the soul and what she saw. Oh, what she saw staring back at her, the pale blonde hair and winter blue eyes she knew well, the aged grizzled features, those were new. She took a stilted breath and then saw beyond her reflection, beyond his, she saw a line of her predecessors leading back since before the founding of Belka. The stylized cross’ points indented in her tight grip when the superimposed image smiled slightly and opened its mouth. “We are free,” whispered to her ears, a message born of millennia of diligent duty and experience, delivered across time uncounted. Hayate gazed unseeing, plagued by the memory of vivid red and scintillating green, the last memory bequeathed from the last Master of the Tome of the Night Sky, Shield of the Belkan Empire.

2009-10-31, 20:14	Link #18198
SulliMike23 Soldier of Nod Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Houston, TX	Happy Halloween folks, and I hope things go well for everyone.