[Aaron008R]

Backlog eh? Almaria?

Almaria: [Yes?]

Please do the honors.

Almaria: [Hai. Proceeding with information dissemination at average level of output...]

Originally Posted by LoweGear

Hmmm...

Seems I've been making a habit of posting "previews" lately

Anyways, more Snippet Time, with another short piece, which continues from this snippet, concerning a certain AI.

Spoiler for Searcher:

I watched Kay walk towards me, obviously angry. In these situations, it is unwise to speak of anything unnecessary. If you have nothing to contribute, you keep your thoughts to yourself, unless you intend to provoke an unfavorable reaction.

Somewhere beyond the line of trees and bushes along the park trail, barely visible in the darkness of the canopy, Matsuri stayed, kneeling on all fours, struggling to get up. When at last she stood up, she walked back on the trail, heading away from here. Limping like a defeated wounded dog.

At any case, I’d better keep a watch on Matsuri. Walking out on the streets alone at this time is dangerous, but at the same time I couldn’t leave this cottage unguarded.

Luckily I had some Searchers available. I took out five from my pocket, and cast the spell to activate them lighting it up into floating bright, blue balls.

Kay noticed the balls as she walked up to my right. “Glock?” she asked, her strained voice barely above an exasperated whisper.

I gently threw the balls up into the air, which then flew off to their predestined coordinates.

“I’m leaving the Searchers for additional perimeter surveillance. I’ll just accompany Matsuri back to her place. It’s not safe out at this hour.”

“Okay…” Kay replied, sounding distant. I patted her shoulder.

“It’ll work out… somehow. You better tend to Shinji now.”

Kay only nodded in reply, as I turned to catch up to Matsuri…

“I’ll do it.”

A weak voice made me pause in my tracks. I turned left to see Shinji standing nearby. “I’ll go.” Weakly he asked, the voice of someone nearing desperation. I turned to face him. Why Shinji, why do you-

“Why do you want to?”

Kay beat me to it voicing the question, her arms crossed, looking sternly at him. “Why do you want to accompany her Shinji? Tell me.”

“Because...” Shinji answered, pausing in mid reply, looking sullen. “…I have to say goodbye… for the last time.”

Looking at Shinji obviously pained as he replied, visibly shaking… at that very point I wished I could help to at least ease his pain. But I knew nothing I could say would help.

Kay walked to him, maintaining her stern composure. Several moments passed with neither saying a word. What was she thinking of? Kay, what are your intentions?

...

"Are you sure?" Kay asked, breaking the silence.

"I am." Shinji answered, shaken, but unhesitant.

Kay then laid both her hands on his shoulders.

“Be back after you’re done alright?”

Shinji simply nodded in reply. Then slowly, he turned and walked towards the trail. Watching him walk down the now moonlit trail, standing upright despite the confusion he must be going through right now, up until he disappeared along the line of trees. Truly, his new body gave him freedom. The freedom to do what he must.

“Do what you have to do Shinji.”

Kay looked on with concern, her whispered words echoing my own.

“What are you planning to do now Kay?”

She leaned back on the cottage wall, a sigh escaping her lips.

“I’ll wait for him to return. And trust in his judgement.”

“You sound like you’re expecting something major out of this.”

“Shouldn’t I? Whether he continues to remain broken, or whether he can mend his feelings, depends on what happens next.”

I leaned back next to her. “We can find out which of those outcomes will occur today.” I opened a holodisplay, showing a birds-eye-view of Shinji walking on the trail, relayed by one of my Searchers.

Kay’s wan smile meant her approval, watching the image in front of her intently.

“What will you do now Shinji?”

I found myself asking the same thing, as we watched him together.

I LIKE THIS!
Kay's now a mom.
Glock's now a da-*shot*

Originally Posted by Reiji Tabibito

Hyena: Hey, who's the pig?

Pumbaa: Are you talking to me?

Timon: Uh-oh, they called him a pig.

Pumbaa: Are YOU TALKING to ME?

Timon: Ya shouldn'ta done that.

Pumbaa: ARE YOU TALKING TO ME?!

Timon: NOW you're in for it!

Pumbaa: THEY CALL ME, MIS-TER PIIIIG! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!

Ahh~... memories...

<nods> Thanks. And don't worry about the bad mood thing - it happens with all of us - we all have our little beserk buttons.

Thanks. I just got too professional for a bit... And about Apalis, a thirty minute break in between maximum loads should provide for enough cooldown...

No fair... no fair... NO FAIR!!! I was gonna do that!

<sits in Corner of Woe a la Tamaki>

I'm not mentioned... I'm not mentioned... I'M NOT MENTIONED! UGUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU<gasp>UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU UUUU<gasp>UUUUUUUUUU!

Eheh... Sorry... But I included the FFnet writers only... which reminds me...

Saint X: Expected to be good in an epic HAXX sense. With lotsa insights from Kyla.

And of course...

Reiji: Expected to b good in a romance movie sense

Originally Posted by Dream_Traveller

@Lowe: A very touching piece, I must say. Shinji's departure was well-described, along with Kay's emotions, but, as said before- what will happen now? I am intrigued, good sir, and I await more.

If any of you recall the scene in which V assaults a group of Numbers and guards, I've also done another version...much more...ehm, how should I say this...vicious. This is what would happen if V got cheesed before he faced Scag...or, in the least, a snippet of it.

Spoiler for Bloody Masquerade:

The smoke cleared, slowly, dissipating.

The shadowed, kneeling figure of V was still visible. Nove cursed behind gritted teeth, but couldn't help viewing the scene in mortification as he rose.

He rose.

Painfully, inch by biting inch, the man summoned within himself the strength to rise upwards, propping himself up on one leg in a crouching position and using it as leverage. Blood trickled down his face and stained his garments, and his breathing was irregular, erratic, coming forth from his lungs in gasps at random intervals. The very sound of it was almost bone-chilling. His robes were torn, as was his tunic, and his appearance was that of a disheveled character.

But he had lived.

Taking just one step forward, watching as the Numbers and guards paced back, behind his exterior visage he gave the hostile congregation a look that spoke cold daggers, one that was the embodiment of evil, and spoke in a raspy, harsh tone that was the epitome of nightmarish.

"You are loyal, aren't you..."

He outstretched his right hand- in a brief flash, Fawkes materialized. Its blade glistened demoniacally, as if it was wordlessly informing its owner of its lust for blood.

"Even to the end, even in death..." This made the Numbers bolt upwards, listening attentively but without belief. "Semper fidelis...as they say", the masked figure uttered, in a voice that was bordering on sounding melancholy. He shook his head. "Alas...I am a gardener...and it is my duty to defoliate this tree of malice that I witness before me..." His words a soft, deadly whisper, he glared at the redhead.

"That aside, it's...irritating that your loyalties still bind you." He tittered, menacingly, then stated warningly: "For if you knew better and had a proper mindset inside yourself, my dear," he said, directing his speech at Nove. "Then you would have had the knowledge, set in stone...

To STAY OUT OF MY WAY!"

In an outburst of energy, blood-red in color, the Numbers were sent further backwards along the hall. V surged forward, yelling a cry of rage, and not even caring for the soldiers that vainly attempted to obstruct his path as he cut them in twain like a cleaver through meat.

Rocketing towards the red-haired cyborg, another pair of guards assaulted him with projectiles of light- despite the speed at which the enraged attacker was progressing, he still managed to fish out a pair of knives from beneath that darkness of his cloak, and hurl them at the resolute defenders. The first spiraled, cutting through the air and slicing across the guard's throat, extinguishing his life in a split second. The second embedded itself in the other man's neck, red liquid flowing out freshly from the wound as the corpse collapsed, devoid of movement.

V turned his head back to Nove, just in time to notice that the girl was launching another salvo of spherical objects from around her gauntlet. He didn't bother to raise a shield as some cut into him, leaving new injuries behind. Charging on through the storm, he shifted Fawkes over to his left hand and swung his right fist back just after Nove prepared a strike.

The fists met, one gloved, one gauntleted, and it seemed that there was an equal distribution of power in both blows. The combatants broke off, and Nove aimed to swipe again, but V struck first, his arm streaking forward with practically inhuman agility. Once more, he struck the Number's gauntlet-covered fist, but with purpose. Strengthening his attack, V's fist forced her arm back until it ultimately snapped inwards, flopping afterwards limply.

Nove screamed in pain, and looked down at her once operational arm, now sparking uselessly at the elbow joint. She had distracted herself long enough for the masked assailant to fist her in the gut, knocking the wind out of her, then grab her throat like a vice and slam her into a wall. During this scuffle, V had switched Fawkes back to his right hand.

The remaining soldiers shook in terror and fled soon after, enthralled and in fear of this man's power, this infuriated killing machine. Tre and Cinque could only watch on in horror and desperation.

"You've been a pain to me, haven't you, little pretty?", he sneered, darkly. "Well, there comes a time where all must be put in their place." He raised the jet-black spear, and, without remorse, thrust it forward.

Nove felt her breath catch in her throat as the weapon pierced her torso. She lowered her head weakly to look at her nemesis, and the man noticed something else other than shock in her eyes.

(Pleading...?)

"Fawkes."

That was what came forth coldly from the black-clothed one. His device responded instantly, and ejected a quartet of cartridges.

"...November 5th."

At once, an ominous dark red glow surrounded the spear's end, and a beam of condensed magic power was sent outwards from it. Fawkes released two more cartridges to increase the potency of the attack. Nove's expression of fright was the last V saw of her as an explosion culminated, the blast being so powerful that it pierced through the side of the vessel to the complete surprise of all outside, Hayate included.


Somewhere elsewhere, I felt a dagger penetrate his mind. G glanced at him, concernedly.

"What is it?", he inquired.

I, at first, couldn't muster up the power to speak. When he did, his voice was a hollow, shaking murmur.

"Nove...

Nove is...!"


The deed was done.

V lowered his spear, and quarter-turned to the duo of Numbers before him. Both of them couldn't believe their eyes, and Cinque was left almost wordless.

"N...Nove...sou na..." The eye-patched girl's voice was a meek whisper, and her tone rose in fury and sorrow.

"Nove...Nove...

NOVE!"

V watched mirthlessly as she sobbed weakly, tears forming in her one eye, and watched as, still wracked by loss, she stood, bearing a set of knives and leering at V vengefully.

V readied a stance. "Now you have something else to fight for...revenge. Just like me."

He raised his head.

"Let's begin in earnest, shall we...my adversaries?"

This is only alternate, but...

Don't mess with V.

I found writing this to be somewhat hard, and, as with the former piece off of which I based this, partly painful, too. But...do tell me what you all think of this.

OH. MY. GOD!!!
You offed Nove!
Intense scenario is INTENSE!

Originally Posted by Wibbles

I just did a massive update on Katsuhito's profile. Tell me what you think!

I'll get to it when I come back. Same goes for Satty's new character.

Originally Posted by Tals

Why "Entropy?" Well, aside from just being a cool name, I plan on abusing the aforementioned "lingering mental effects" of it's proto-Unison abilities to have a whole mess of wacky psychological hijinks, and the scientific term for chaos seems like a good name for a device that is infused with the remnants of countless other people's minds.

Glad you like his name, I've always felt like anytime someone is named Guy in an anime he's doomed to be a secondary character who supports the protagonist, and perhaps takes a bullet/sword for him. So I'm setting out to change that with a Guy who's a little less "self-sacrificing support character" a little more "maniacally overconfident protagonist."

And he has an age, I just plan on writing starting from the beginning, and if his profile started there it'd be sorta boring.
Device: None
Abilities: Worthless
Specialization: Doesn't like working
etc, would be a bit of a letdown don't you think. This way everyone can see what direction I plan on taking him, but still leave enough leeway to write in new stuff as it comes up.



Well that bit came from an idea I had when they were discussing the different types of barriers(hey, a perfect excuse to go watch a bunch of Nanoha, it's for Research!) It seemed to me that every time someone used a barrier it was to block an incoming attack, so what would happen if you angled it slightly and instead tried to deflect it. Then I got to thinking, can't they shape barriers, why not use cone shaped ones to deflect beam attacks around yourself, or use them like mirrors to ricochet long range attacks back at an enemy. Seems they've got a lot of uses to me, some of them perhaps requiring a lot of extra energy, some just requiring a little basic geometry.



Where is it, I keep getting this feeling that theres an easier way to find this stuff that doesn't involve trekking through 400 pages of unrelated discussion just to find one character's profile.



As for all this discussion about multiverses and other such shenanigan's, I prefer to think of it as a bunch of smaller alternate universes that all follow the same temporal path, that way you don't get into any trouble with time travel paradoxes and dimensional paradoxes both running amok making everything impossible to understand. Though to get technical, I'm pretty sure time is constant throughout all universes, since it's for the most part arbitrary, the difference would be in the direction that it seems to flow. Ours goes from low entropy to high (egg is whole, egg is dropped on floor, egg is now shattered into a random assortment of pieces), but others could have no flow or one that goes in some other direction. But enough armchair physics, I'll leave those things to the professionals, they all probably like doing calculus, unlike me.

Moving on, I've got more of Entropy's abilities written up, and is it just me or is the hardest part coming up with names that don't sound goofy as hell.

Spoiler for Entropy: Abilities:

Abilities:
Limit Release 0
Grav Step - Using Entropy’s gravity manipulation functions, the mage is able to propel himself along all 3 axes. This ability is notably different from most magic based flight because of both its high speed, and relative lack of control. The mage must plan out his trajectory before moving, lest he end up miles off course from a small error in the calculations, because of this, Grav Step has only limited combat applications, mostly short bursts of movement in a straight line.

Matter Manipulation 0 - With all limits active, Entropy is able to propel objects through space by manipulating the forces acting on it. Limits must be released before it can deform or change an object’s state of matter.

Mass Guard - The mage simultaneously creates a barrier and a gravity anomaly in the same space. This compresses nearby matter into a dense physical shield that overlaps the magical barrier. The addition of a matter based defense greatly increases its resistance to projectile attacks and physical strikes.

Limit Release 1
Blade Manipulation: Sonic - When Entropy is in Assault Mode the mage changes the blades default properties so that they send out pulses of force. This creates shockwaves that travel through the air whenever the blade is swung.

Blade Manipulation: Adamantium - Matter around the blade is compressed into an extremely dense metal. This form is useful when facing AMF equipped enemies as magical power is only needed to create the blade, not to hold its form.

Mass Shot - The mage creates bullets from compressed matter and fires them. This ability confers a great deal of control over the bullets, allowing them to change course mid-flight.

Matter Manipulation 1 - When one limit is released Entropy is able to compress and shape matter.

Limit Release 2
Grav Buster - Inspired by Nanoha’s supremely powerful energy focusing attacks. The mage fires off a beam with a barrier formed over its contours. Inside which, is a constantly shifting gravitational field. Any objects caught inside will be torn apart by forces from all directions.

Matter Manipulation 2 - When 2 limits are released Entropy is able to cause a shift in an object’s state of matter. This is accomplished by either compressing or decompressing the area around an object until it changes state.

Entropic Needles - This ability requires the cartridge system to be active, as well as requiring specialized ammunition. The mage decompresses specially created, ultra dense needles until they enter a highly energetic plasma state. These are then fired at opponents from long range.

Limit Release 3
Anarchic Barrage - The mage rapidly compresses and decompresses the space in a wide circle. This creates a massive wall of air moving at extremely high speed. These are generally shot in rapid succession, hence the name “Barrage.”

And to tie it all off, I've gotten started on some actual writing, just to make sure I can still form coherent thoughts and write dialog. Here's hoping.

Spoiler for Introductions::

"Good evening", a soothing voice emanated from around him, "I hope I'm not interrupting anything, but I just had to talk to you."

"Who is it?", He peered into the endless night ahead of him, trying to discern where the voice was coming from, "It's not polite to speak when people can't see you"

"Ha ha, that's true, but I can't do any better than this, it's your mind afterall"

He stopped looking around, "Well even if that's the case, the least you could do is introduce yourself, I'm not in the habit of speaking to nameless, ethereal voices." It may have said this was his mind, but it sure didn't feel like it.

The voice piped up, "You're a funny one. My name's Entropy, the pleasure's all yours I'm sure.", The voice giggled, obviously pleased by its own wit, "So what's your name, that is sort of what I came all the way out here to find out."

"Me? I'm Guy, Guy Laine." Were dreams supposed to be able to ask you questions like that? He'd have to do a little research when he woke up. " It's good to meet you, I guess, is there something else you wanted, Entropy?"

"Oh nothing in particular, I just wanted to see who I'd be hanging out with next", the voice laughed to itself ,"Oh, and I'm not a dream, you'd better remember that."

"Hey how'd you-" Color flooded his vision, blinding him momentarily. He sat up straight and rubbed his eyes. "Wow, that was the wierdest dream I've had in ages", He looked over at the clock by his bed, he had one hour before he needed to catch his train. "Crazy voice made me late, guess I'll just have to skip breakfast." He tossed the covers aside and got out of bed. Outside, the streets buzzed with the sounds of city life; car horns, shouts from streetlevel, the sounds he was comfortable with. It helped him get his mind off the dream and the enigmatic woman who spoke to him. He didn't have time for that nonsense anyway, he had a train to catch and that was a much more pressing issue than any dream, it would just have to wait.

I like where this is going. Please continue.

Originally Posted by Tk3997

I’m with you too in the crusade against rampant perversion!

Ah! An ally!

*Blast off to hide in a cloaked ship in deep space*

Just not right now mind you...

WTF! COME BACK HERE YOU FR-*shot multiple times*

Seriously though I was just kind of watching while shaking my head and sighing over all the guys going bonkers over that little thing.

It's more fun for the maker if they react that way. Even if it's a little silly.

Originally Posted by Saint X

She's a grown up girl now *points to Reiji's post* and since she's missing out on the lurve... she'll-

Ragnarok Breaker >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Creator-Kun

Hmm...
Personally, I wanted to do it myself... but I don't do CCXOC pairings. PLUS, I may be reasonably good in the platonic affection department... But I'm currently no good in rabu-rabu scenarios.

And after reading about the NXY development in AlternateS, I know that Hayate is in good hands.

MAKE IT GOOD, SAINT X!!!

Originally Posted by Kha

They know, but Nanoha and Keroko don't encourage it. Hayate on the other hand, wants to promote it. She believes that Fate would feel the pressure and stick to Kha closer, but of course tells no one, not even her older sister that. Yeah she's evil.

Ohoh... I think a few minor edits are in order... I need it for my script... Sorry. <coughharemcoughsettingcough>

Originally Posted by Chaos2Frozen

I can imagine Fate taking revenge and tease Signum to no end about it

That'll be fun to watch!

Is that the other OC who likes Signum as well?

Yes... In a more rival way.

Originally Posted by LoweGear

*washes blood-stained hands*

*eyes lose glaze*

Ara, what happened? Ketchup?

There are more than enough people here willing to give her all the Love and Attention she needs

In a parental way of course

Accurate.

Originally Posted by Erio

... You talk about how "pure-minded" you are... yet you bait us with such "cute descriptions"!! That's pure, yes... PURE EVIL!!!!



BTW, when will there be more?

It's fun seeing everyone else's reactions.
I just love it when I utilize things that seem so wrong in a colloquial sense but is perfectly innocent in the by the book sense.
Anyway, I still enjoy them in a normal healthy male teenager sense. But I tend t prioritize gentlemanly attitudes towards girls in life.

False hints are much more fun than obvious hints or the thing themselves.

And about more, allow me to think about it.

Originally Posted by LoweGear

Sometimes though, we just have to live with the fact that there are things beyond our comprehension to understand, and that in trying to expand our knowledge and understand reality, we run across concepts that would seem cold and lifeless to our romantic view of reality, like the aforementioned predermination, or for another closer-to-earth example the harsh realization that what we refer to as the "soul" and "consciousness" is nothing more than the fragile interaction of electrical impulses and chemicals in the brain, that can be altered and manipulated. (Something I think C2F's Lance touches upon quite well).

Of course, we have yet to know whether or not that is true, or whether some new insights into the nature of quantum mechanical physics can shed some light into the nature of time-space, and the answers to predetermination and ultimately whether human free will and consciousness is important at all in the grand scheme of the universe.

And it seems I have some book hunting to do...

Ahh... As to be expected from Lowe-aniki!

Myself, I don't bother too much with that... It just goes like this for me...

I determine my fate.
My fate is my destiny.
My destiny is predetermined.
I determine my destiny.

It doesn't really matter... All those words and concepts were made by the very same people who argue about them. In the end, one could say that he determined his destiny. But then one can say that this destiny is predetermined. And then the cycle/argument goes on...

It's like a paradox. As long as two opposing beliefs clash, it will always be there.


More later...
WHEN MY FRICKIN CONNECTION STOPS FAILING ME!!!