Location: Pennsylvania. It's sort of like a real state.
Age: 39
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nanya01
Hmm...
...
I want to cry now.
Spoiler for Due PT 4:
About two weeks later...
Due looked up at Cinque as the latter smiled at her softly. "What are we doing here?" There were armed guards and people in prison clothes being led around and she gripped Cinque tightly. "I don't wanna go to prison! No! Don't make me go!" She started crying against Cinque's body. "Please! I don't know what I did, but please! I'm sorry! Don't make me go!"
"Due! Due!" Cinque knelt down to look at her sniffling sister. "It's okay. We're just here to visit someone, that's all."
"We are?" Her voice was timid and meek as Cinque nodded. "Kay!" She started to smile brightly even as Cinque pulled out a tissue and wiped Due's face down with it.
Even though she was smiling at Due as they walked, hand in hand, into the building, Cinque couldn't help but feel sad for her, since she reacted so... Violently to the thought of even going into a prison.
She wanted to say something, anything, to promise Due that she wouldn't be going to prison, but for some reason the words wouldn't form, nor could she get any sound out of her throat.
(---)
"Well, well..." Quattro narrowed her eyes at the screen. "If it isn't the leader of that batch of traitors..." She sighed as she looked at the other screens in front of her, since this was a teleconference call, more than one person was on the screen at one time.
"Quattro!" Uno yelled at her from her own screen. "At least say hello before you start criticizing Cinque." Turning to the small cyborg, Uno smiled. "I'm sorry, it's been too long, Cinque."
"Tsk... What brings you here anyway?" Tre asked as she leaned against the wall in her cell. "I'm not ungrateful for the call, it's just that I didn't expect anyone to call today."
"Yes, it... Was a surprise." Jail chuckled from his view screen. "It is rather nice to see you again, Cinque. Tell me, have your sisters adjusted to normal life yet?"
"For the most part, yes." Cinque nodded at him. "Actually, I'm here because I have someone to show to you." Mentally, she smiled brightly as the four looked at her in curiosity. "Come here." She gestured to someone that they couldn't see. "Say hello." She smiled as a little blond girl walked up to her.
"WAI!!" The girl jumped up and down. "Doctor, Un-nee, Tre, Quattro! You're all alive!"
"Uh... Huh?" Tre looked at the blond, wondering what the hell was going on here. "Cinque, who is that?"
"You're still a frowny face, Tre." The child pouted at her. "And, Un-nee, you're still bland... And Quattro... Didn't I teach you better than that? Seriously, if you're going to try and use two people to kill each other, make sure that you can't be found first!"
"D...Due?!" Quattro had a rare expression of complete and utter astonishment on her face. "What the hell?!"
"That's riiiiiight!" Due grinned, her eyes closed as she waved her hands up and down. "I came back from the dead to torment all of you with visions of dead squirrels that go peep, mice that don't make for good conversations and birds that are extra crunchy when you eat them!"
"...I agree with Quattro, what the hell?"
"She's... Been like this for the past few months, actually..." Cinque shook her head in amusement. "She has a hard time focusing..."
"Winters are cold, you know there's more snow this year than last year? I would know, I ended up sleeping under two feet of it, my feet felt like they'd freeze off." Due stomped the ground, grumbling. "That wasn't very nice, winter! Can't you put less snow out?!"
"And she tends to go off into tangents..." Cinque sweat-dropped heavily.
Jail frowned thoughtfully. "Due..."
"Huh?" She blinked at him innocently as she smiled.
"How are you still alive?"
"Reincarnation Mode!" She grinned as his face took on a look of sudden clarity. "I'm back and smaller than ever! And look!" She suddenly transformed into a small version of Jail. "I still have my shape shifting!"
Jail chuckled and started laughing hard. "Oh... Oh my goodness! I can't believe it! It actually worked?!"
"Doctor?" Quattro looked at his screen in confusion.
Jail chuckled heavily. "I remember now! I installed that mode into Due, in case something happened, since she would be alone more than the rest of her sisters. However, the only way to test that would be..."
"To kill me..." Due looked at him, her eyes suddenly watering up. "You didn't kill me, did you? I don't remember you killing me, please tell me that you didn't kill me! I don't want to know that you killed me!"
Jail chuckled softly. "No, I didn't kill you. I didn't want to risk it not working, so I just decided to abandon it."
"Hmph!" Quattro huffed and turned away. "I bet she's going to go live like the rest of the traitors now."
"Quattro!!" Uno yelled at her and the glasses-wearing cyborg turned to her with a look of disdain.
"What? It's true, isn't it? She's not going to stay in prison and she's going to just live with them." She then looked at Due, who was looking at her with some fear and confusion and snorted. "Probably for the better anyway, I'd rather not know this snivelling, whimpering, pathetic pile of scrap as Due anyway."
"...You mean it?" Due asked in a small voice as Quattro narrowed her eyes at her.
"That's what I'm talking about! The Due I knew and loved was cold-hearted, ruthless and wouldn't take this kind of crap from anyone. As far as I'm concerned, you're not Due, just someone who took her name!"
Due's lips trembled slightly as she looked at Jail. "Doctor..?"
"Well, I can't prove that you're the same Due, but then again, I can't prove that you're not the same Due, so..." He shrugged and leaned back. "Go ahead and do what you want."
Even though Jail smiled at her, she felt her eyes burning. She turned to Uno. "Un-nee..?"
The eldest cyborg shook her head. "It's probably for the best that you turned into that form... Otherwise you'd be in here with us, I'm pretty sure that's not what you'd want."
"Un-nee?"
she smiled sadly at the little cyborg. "I'm sorry, Due, but seeing you like this... It is painful to look at."
"Don't look at me." Tre held her hands up as Due looked at her screen. "We weren't very close to begin with."
As the screens turned off, Cinque frowned and wished that she had listened to Schach and Carim. They had said that this would be a bad idea, but she had thought that it would do Due some good to know that all her sisters were alive. "Come on, Due..." She grabbed the young girl's hand and led her out of the building.
As they got to the street, Cinque winced, the weather had suddenly taken a turn for the worst. She had to pull her hood over her head and tighten it up. She turned to Due to do the same, but the girl was looking down, trembling. "Due?" There were tears falling down Due's face, which wasn't a good thing at all.
"They... They abandoned me!" Due suddenly let out a wail and fled, causing Cinque to fall down.
"DUE!" Cinque got up and ran after her, but quickly lost her after only two street turns. "DUE!"
All Cinque saw were crowds of people, snow starting to fall quickly and the winds picking up. "DUE!"
Page claim for Due
That... that was really sad, honestly.
I was hoping that Due would break out her 'cold assassin' persona and berate Quattro for being too petty and weak to take any path to freedom she could find and seek revenge later, honestly. God, what a bitch.
Location: Place of rocks and trees, and trees and rocks...and water.
Age: 33
Wow, big backlog . Forgive my more-than-just-a-little vague remarks...
Quote:
Originally Posted by DezoPenguin
As usual, I am wholly dependent on RadiantBeam to give me prompts for NanoFate stories (it's literally true--"Mending" is the only one that wasn't done that wasn't based on something she wrote or something she asked for). So, forthwith, I hereby present the newest entry in the Shadows stories, set directly after "Long Distance Goodbye" Chapter 2:
Okay, that's a little too much pomp and circumstance for a one-shot, but enjoy anyway!
Awwww . I love it, it's always nice to see the reactions and thoughts of people around the situation, instead of being in the midst of it like Lutecia and Vivio. Poor Nanoha, having to deal with a growing teenager!
Quote:
Originally Posted by TheShinySword
Hi there. I'm not back per se... but I'm not longer not here... 'cause makes sense right?
Oh and you can have this too...
Spoiler for All for the sake of science:
SNIP
Spoiler for Note:
Basically I wondered what it would be like if Jail was a silver age supervillian. Of course Fate would be the super hero then.
k I'm gonna go back into my corner and be unfunny some more .__.
LOL, the moment when Fate opened her mouth to speak is when the crack really hit me . I expected the crack to just be from the antics of the bad guys, but when Fate started talking I immediately thought of the cheesy silver age comics....
Quote:
Originally Posted by RadiantBeam
Latest drabble for "Shadowfire" is up and running: It Only Hurts.
Hmm, according to my story links the drabble right after this one is the one I wrote from the challenge DC gave me. Now to actually remember what those requirements were...
Eh, I can't imagine going back to look it up , but I believe that it was the "Jail Bait Wait" story where I had a bunch of random items like umbrellas and staplers that you had to include in the story?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nanya01
Hmm...
...
I want to cry now.
Spoiler for Due PT 4:
About two weeks later...
Due looked up at Cinque as the latter smiled at her softly. "What are we doing here?" There were armed guards and people in prison clothes being led around and she gripped Cinque tightly. "I don't wanna go to prison! No! Don't make me go!" She started crying against Cinque's body. "Please! I don't know what I did, but please! I'm sorry! Don't make me go!"
"Due! Due!" Cinque knelt down to look at her sniffling sister. "It's okay. We're just here to visit someone, that's all."
"We are?" Her voice was timid and meek as Cinque nodded. "Kay!" She started to smile brightly even as Cinque pulled out a tissue and wiped Due's face down with it.
Even though she was smiling at Due as they walked, hand in hand, into the building, Cinque couldn't help but feel sad for her, since she reacted so... Violently to the thought of even going into a prison.
She wanted to say something, anything, to promise Due that she wouldn't be going to prison, but for some reason the words wouldn't form, nor could she get any sound out of her throat.
(---)
"Well, well..." Quattro narrowed her eyes at the screen. "If it isn't the leader of that batch of traitors..." She sighed as she looked at the other screens in front of her, since this was a teleconference call, more than one person was on the screen at one time.
"Quattro!" Uno yelled at her from her own screen. "At least say hello before you start criticizing Cinque." Turning to the small cyborg, Uno smiled. "I'm sorry, it's been too long, Cinque."
"Tsk... What brings you here anyway?" Tre asked as she leaned against the wall in her cell. "I'm not ungrateful for the call, it's just that I didn't expect anyone to call today."
"Yes, it... Was a surprise." Jail chuckled from his view screen. "It is rather nice to see you again, Cinque. Tell me, have your sisters adjusted to normal life yet?"
"For the most part, yes." Cinque nodded at him. "Actually, I'm here because I have someone to show to you." Mentally, she smiled brightly as the four looked at her in curiosity. "Come here." She gestured to someone that they couldn't see. "Say hello." She smiled as a little blond girl walked up to her.
"WAI!!" The girl jumped up and down. "Doctor, Un-nee, Tre, Quattro! You're all alive!"
"Uh... Huh?" Tre looked at the blond, wondering what the hell was going on here. "Cinque, who is that?"
"You're still a frowny face, Tre." The child pouted at her. "And, Un-nee, you're still bland... And Quattro... Didn't I teach you better than that? Seriously, if you're going to try and use two people to kill each other, make sure that you can't be found first!"
"D...Due?!" Quattro had a rare expression of complete and utter astonishment on her face. "What the hell?!"
"That's riiiiiight!" Due grinned, her eyes closed as she waved her hands up and down. "I came back from the dead to torment all of you with visions of dead squirrels that go peep, mice that don't make for good conversations and birds that are extra crunchy when you eat them!"
"...I agree with Quattro, what the hell?"
"She's... Been like this for the past few months, actually..." Cinque shook her head in amusement. "She has a hard time focusing..."
"Winters are cold, you know there's more snow this year than last year? I would know, I ended up sleeping under two feet of it, my feet felt like they'd freeze off." Due stomped the ground, grumbling. "That wasn't very nice, winter! Can't you put less snow out?!"
"And she tends to go off into tangents..." Cinque sweat-dropped heavily.
Jail frowned thoughtfully. "Due..."
"Huh?" She blinked at him innocently as she smiled.
"How are you still alive?"
"Reincarnation Mode!" She grinned as his face took on a look of sudden clarity. "I'm back and smaller than ever! And look!" She suddenly transformed into a small version of Jail. "I still have my shape shifting!"
Jail chuckled and started laughing hard. "Oh... Oh my goodness! I can't believe it! It actually worked?!"
"Doctor?" Quattro looked at his screen in confusion.
Jail chuckled heavily. "I remember now! I installed that mode into Due, in case something happened, since she would be alone more than the rest of her sisters. However, the only way to test that would be..."
"To kill me..." Due looked at him, her eyes suddenly watering up. "You didn't kill me, did you? I don't remember you killing me, please tell me that you didn't kill me! I don't want to know that you killed me!"
Jail chuckled softly. "No, I didn't kill you. I didn't want to risk it not working, so I just decided to abandon it."
"Hmph!" Quattro huffed and turned away. "I bet she's going to go live like the rest of the traitors now."
"Quattro!!" Uno yelled at her and the glasses-wearing cyborg turned to her with a look of disdain.
"What? It's true, isn't it? She's not going to stay in prison and she's going to just live with them." She then looked at Due, who was looking at her with some fear and confusion and snorted. "Probably for the better anyway, I'd rather not know this snivelling, whimpering, pathetic pile of scrap as Due anyway."
"...You mean it?" Due asked in a small voice as Quattro narrowed her eyes at her.
"That's what I'm talking about! The Due I knew and loved was cold-hearted, ruthless and wouldn't take this kind of crap from anyone. As far as I'm concerned, you're not Due, just someone who took her name!"
Due's lips trembled slightly as she looked at Jail. "Doctor..?"
"Well, I can't prove that you're the same Due, but then again, I can't prove that you're not the same Due, so..." He shrugged and leaned back. "Go ahead and do what you want."
Even though Jail smiled at her, she felt her eyes burning. She turned to Uno. "Un-nee..?"
The eldest cyborg shook her head. "It's probably for the best that you turned into that form... Otherwise you'd be in here with us, I'm pretty sure that's not what you'd want."
"Un-nee?"
she smiled sadly at the little cyborg. "I'm sorry, Due, but seeing you like this... It is painful to look at."
"Don't look at me." Tre held her hands up as Due looked at her screen. "We weren't very close to begin with."
As the screens turned off, Cinque frowned and wished that she had listened to Schach and Carim. They had said that this would be a bad idea, but she had thought that it would do Due some good to know that all her sisters were alive. "Come on, Due..." She grabbed the young girl's hand and led her out of the building.
As they got to the street, Cinque winced, the weather had suddenly taken a turn for the worst. She had to pull her hood over her head and tighten it up. She turned to Due to do the same, but the girl was looking down, trembling. "Due?" There were tears falling down Due's face, which wasn't a good thing at all.
"They... They abandoned me!" Due suddenly let out a wail and fled, causing Cinque to fall down.
"DUE!" Cinque got up and ran after her, but quickly lost her after only two street turns. "DUE!"
All Cinque saw were crowds of people, snow starting to fall quickly and the winds picking up. "DUE!"
Page claim for Due
Edit: Previous parts are found at the following links.
Just read all the parts, and here are some disjointed comments:
-Zafira is just too adorably sweet. It should be criminal.
-Due is like a Woobie who has stirrings of sociopathic behaviour. Very odd combination...
-Cinque and Sein are really great in how they take care of child Due
One random note: mental disorders, not diseases ^^.
The ADD doesn't exactly work that way in real life, but it's perfect for the humour of a story . The later chapters kind of overdo it a little though, it's much funnier when we see it manifest more in Due being distracted through actions (like picking up a penny, etc ) than just jumping from topic to topic in her speech.
Bloody hell, it was cold. The snow swirled around him with growing fury, stinging his cheeks and
ears. He responded by pulling his scarf closer and adjusting his hat. The thick woolen longcoat
served to keep him warm enough, even with the winds pulling at the tails and sending snow
sticking to his shoes.
A good thick stew would be nice, tonight. Possibly a colcannon soup with extra potatoes and
leeks…
A soft sob nearby sounded far louder than any bus or car that rumbled by. He paused,
wondering if what he heard was just a figment of his imagination or just the howl of the wind.
Unfortunately, he would hear it again, much clearer this time. With careful steps, he followed
the sound into an alleyway. Though the wind was calmer here, the chill was just as sharp. He
would have missed it completely had it not been for a shock of blonde hair sticking out against
the accumulating snow.
“…” the man leveled a flat look at the crying child. Another orphan? A homeless child? No, her c
lothes were too neat and new to be one. Perhaps a runaway? Either way, it was none of his
business. At the same time, the weather was getting worse and worse, and the child hardly
seemed prepared to survive the coming storm.
“Ahh, dammit. I might as well open an orphanage,” he muttered and slowly approached the girl.
“Alright, enough with the waterworks. You’ll catch your death of cold if you stay out here, not
to mention the icicles sticking out of your eyes. You got a place to go home to?” he spoke,
stopping a few feet away.
The girl jerked in surprise, her head snapping up to look at the newcomer. Her eyes were red,
and her sleeves were soaked with tears. Just as quickly, she buried her face back into her arms.
“Leave me alone! I don’t want to go anywhere!”
“In case you haven’t noticed, the weather is getting pretty bad. You can't stay out here. Here,
I'll show you a place you can stay for the night."
“No! I don’t even know you! Go away or I’ll bite your legs off!”
A sigh, “My name’s Kevin. I’m a civilian contractor for the Bureau under the administration of
Commander Hayate Yagami, simulated rank: Staff Sergeant. My place is nearby. At the very
least, you can get out of this weather until the storm passes.
“I said go away! I don’t want your help! No one ever helps…!”
Well, he tried. Time to go home—god dammit he couldn’t just leave. Leaving her here would
just sign her death warrant, especially with the snow already accumulating on his shoulders and
fedora. Calling in police would just have her run away, too.
Really. Picking up strays was a bad idea, but he picked her up anyways.
“Stop! Let me go!” despite her struggles, she could not find escape. “Help! I’m being kidnapped
by a sexual deviant! This hoodlum is going to steal my cuteness!!!”
“Oh stop it,” he drawled, half-carrying half-dragging the girl out of the alley. Her cries did draw
the attentions of some people, though one glance at the tag on the man’s jacket was enough to
make them think nothing more. Somehow, the service tag of Riot Force 6 was an extraordinarily
defining piece of his coat. It was enough to make most people shut up when questioning him.
Seeing as her cries for help went unaided, the girl resorted to using her own strength. Opening
wide, she bit down on his arm. Kevin made a grunt, his mouth grimacing at the discomfort.
Those little teeth were sharp, goddamn. “Please stop that. That hurts.”
Her response was the growl cutely and chew harder. The wool was annoyingly thick and hard to
bite through, but she could feel the flesh underneath succumb to her deadly bite.
The two of them were like this until the scenery changed; that is, they arrived at Kevin’s abode.
Even as he put up his hat and scarf, Due was diligently trying to eat his arm. Fortunately, he
managed to entice her off the wool with a cupcake, of which she consumed with terrifying
voracity.
“This is really good! What is it?” she asked, completely forgetting (or ignoring) the red mark on
Kevin’s arm. There were crumbs everywhere.
“Chocolate-pumpkin cupcake with vanilla Swiss buttercream,” he answered idly, placing a glass
of milk in front of the girl. “What’s your name, anyways?”
She gulped down the drink with frightening speed, slamming the glass down with a satisfied
‘puhaah~!’ before answering the question.
“My name is Due!”
Due? As in the number two? Uno, Due, Tre, Quattro—wait a second.
“You wouldn’t happen to related to Cinque, Sette, Nove, and the others, would you?”
He saw the girl stiffen then shake her head wildly in negative.
“No! I don’t know any of them!”
Bingo. “It isn’t nice to lie, you know.”
“Will you kick me out if I say yes?” she looked rather terrified at the thought.
Kevin blinked, “No, I won’t kick you out, but someone’s bound to worry about you.”
“Hmph, I can survive on my own! I’ve done it for a while now!” Due started to push herself out
of the seat.
“Hey, now,” Kevin held up a hand. “Sit. I’ll give you another cupcake if you behave.”
“You will?” she looked at him as if he were a god.
“Yes, I have some white-chocolate-raspberry ones with sweet cream frosting in the fridge. If
you sit and behave, I’ll let you have one after I make a call.”
“Really? Score! This tastes so much better than that leftover cake in the dumpster. There were
all sorts of ants covering it, and a funny green fuzzy bit on the bottom. That didn’t taste too good,
but the rest did!”
Oooooookay. Making that call now.
He stepped into the next room, bringing up a call menu via his watch. Being one without any
magical ability, he had to rely on technology to help get him around this strange world. As such,
his wristwatch was converted into a PDA and communications device.
The communication screen beeped only for a few seconds before Cinque’s snow-swept face
came on.
“Kevin? I’m sorry, but this isn’t a good time. I’m really busy right now,” she seemed particularly
flustered, her eyes not exactly on the screen.
“You wouldn’t happen to be looking for a lost child named Due?” Kevin asked in his ever calm
tone.
That got her attention, “Wha—how did you know?!”
“She’s in my kitchen, eating a cupcake,” he jerked a thumb behind him. “You wanna come over
and have one too?”
Relief visibly washed over the girl’s features, a tired but thankful smile gracing her face, “You’re
a lifesaver! How did you find her?”
“I suppose I’m a sucker for a crying child, even one I find in an alley,” Kevin said dryly,
shrugging. “I’ll keep an eye on her. See you when you get here.”
“Yes, and thank you again!”
The screen blipped away, and Kevin returned to the kitchen where Due was patiently but
eagerly awaiting her next treat. When presented with the little dessert, the child-cyborg sniffed at
it carefully and took a small nibble. Her childish face lit up like the sun, and she ate the thing as if
it would disappear otherwise.
Crumbs everywhere.
“So…” Kevin started, still taken back slightly by the sheer fury of her eating, “Why were you out
in the cold, crying, and making Cinque worried?”
Due, busy with licking her fingers clean of cream, froze at the question. Her expression and body
visibly drooped as the memories
“We visited my sisters and the doctor today. I thought they would be happy to see me, but
Quattro just yelled at me. The doctor said I wasn’t me, and Un-nee… she said it was painful to
look at me. Tre didn’t even want to try to meet me!”
She seemed ready to start crying again, at least until Kevin interrupted.
“Well that’s crap. Sounds like they don’t even deserve to see you again.”
“But… they said I’m not really Due! I mean, the doctor said he couldn’t prove that I’m not me,
or that I really am me!” she sniffed. “Th-they just… they just abandoned me!”
In a way, the doctor did have a point, but tact was something they all seemed to lack, “No, I
suppose it would be difficult to see you as your former self. At the same time, you could also say
that you are not the original.”
“But Reincarnation Mode brought me back! I know I’m Due! So why won’t they accept me?!”
Ah.
“You call it Reincarnation Mode, right? Do you know what that means?”
“Huh?” Due looked so lost…
“To simply come back to life from death is called resurrection. Reincarnation is to be reborn into
a new body, a new identity. While you may seem similar to Due, that person died during the
battle. You,” he pointed at her. “You represent a second chance, a concept very few get.”
“But my other sisters don’t accept me! They think I’m some crazy person stuck in the body of a
child! And… and… the others just abandoned me! This is a terrible second chance!”
“But you’re wrong, there. I called your sister, and she seemed very worried about you. And the
others, those not in prison, they were happy to see you, right? Everyone is trying to help you,
and undoubtedly they are overjoyed that you are here. Wouldn’t you be thrilled if Cinque came
back? That’s what she feels about you.”
The child Due was silent in her thoughts, though Kevin moved about in the kitchen.
“I’m not saying you should become who you used to be, nor am I saying you should be
someone completely different. You already know who you are, so don’t cry. You are not
alone, and you do have a purpose: you carry the first Due’s will and your own, now.”
A large pot was placed on the stove, as well as a kettle. After lighting the flames, he turned
around and looked at the girl.
“This is your reincarnation, your new lease on life. Savor it.”
There was a knock on the door. Kevin got a few more cupcakes ready.
LOOK WHAT YOU MADE ME DO.
__________________
Last edited by Tempy; 2010-09-21 at 00:08.
Reason: Stupid errors.
Bloody hell, it was cold. The snow swirled around him with growing fury, stinging his cheeks and
ears. He responded by pulling his scarf closer and adjusting his hat. The thick woolen longcoat
served to keep him warm enough, even with the winds pulling at the tails and sending snow
sticking to his shoes.
A good thick stew would be nice, tonight. Possibly a colcannon soup with extra potatoes and
leeks…
A soft sob nearby sounded far louder than any bus or car that rumbled by. He paused,
wondering if what he heard was just a figment of his imagination or just the howl of the wind.
Unfortunately, he would hear it again, much clearer this time. With careful steps, he followed
the sound into an alleyway. Though the wind was calmer here, the chill was just as sharp. He
would have missed it completely had it not been for a shock of blonde hair sticking out against
the accumulating snow.
“…” the man leveled a flat look at the crying child. Another orphan? A homeless child? No, her c
lothes were too neat and new to be one. Perhaps a runaway? Either way, it was none of his
business. At the same time, the weather was getting worse and worse, and the child hardly
seemed prepared to survive the coming storm.
“Ahh, dammit. I might as well open an orphanage,” he muttered and slowly approached the girl.
“Alright, enough with the waterworks. You’ll catch your death of cold if you stay out here, not
to mention the icicles sticking out of your eyes. You got a place to go home to?” he spoke,
stopping a few feet away.
The girl jerked in surprise, her head snapping up to look at the newcomer. Her eyes were red,
and her sleeves were soaked with tears. Just as quickly, she buried her face back into her arms.
“Leave me alone! I don’t want to go anywhere!”
“In case you haven’t noticed, the weather is getting pretty bad.
“No! I don’t even know you! Go away or I’ll bite your legs off!”
A sigh, “My name’s Kevin. I’m a civilian contractor for the Bureau under the administration of
Commander Hayate Yagami, simulated rank: Staff Sergeant. My place is nearby. At the very
least, you can get out of this weather until the storm passes.
“I said go away! I don’t want your help! No one ever helps…!”
Well, he tried. Time to go home—god dammit he couldn’t just leave. Leaving her here would
just sign her death warrant, especially with the snow already accumulating on his shoulders and
fedora. Calling in police would just have her run away, too.
Really. Picking up strays was a bad idea, but he picked her up anyways.
“Stop! Let me go!” despite her struggles, she could not find escape. “Help! I’m being kidnapped
by a sexual deviant! This hoodlum is going to steal my cuteness!!!”
“Oh stop it,” he drawled, half-carrying half-dragging the girl out of the alley. Her cries did draw
the attentions of some people, though one glance at the tag on the man’s jacket was enough to
make them think nothing more. Somehow, the service tag of Riot Force 6 was an extraordinarily
defining piece of his coat. It was enough to make most people shut up when questioning him.
Seeing as her cries for help went unaided, the girl resorted to using her own strength. Opening
wide, she bit down on his arm. Kevin made a grunt, his mouth grimacing at the discomfort.
Those little teeth were sharp, goddamn. “Please stop that. That hurts.”
Her response was the growl cutely and chew harder. The wool was annoyingly thick and hard to
bite through, but she could feel the flesh underneath succumb to her deadly bite.
The two of them were like this until the scenery changed; that is, they arrived at Kevin’s abode.
Even as he put up his hat and scarf, Due was diligently trying to eat his arm. Fortunately, he
managed to entice her off the wool with a cupcake, of which she consumed with terrifying
voracity.
“This is really good! What is it?” she asked, completely forgetting (or ignoring) the red mark on
Kevin’s arm. There were crumbs everywhere.
“Chocolate-pumpkin cupcake with vanilla Swiss buttercream,” he answered idly, placing a glass
of milk in front of the girl. “What’s your name, anyways?”
She gulped down the drink with frightening speed, slamming the glass down with a satisfied
‘puhaah~!’ before answering the question.
“My name is Due!”
Due? As in the number two? Uno, Due, Tre, Quattro—wait a second.
“You wouldn’t happen to related to Cinque, Sette, Nove, and the others, would you?”
He saw the girl stiffen then shake her head wildly in negative.
“No! I don’t know any of them!”
Bingo. “It isn’t nice to lie, you know.”
“Will you kick me out if I say yes?” she looked rather terrified at the thought.
Kevin blinked, “No, I won’t kick you out, but someone’s bound to worry about you.”
“Hmph, I can survive on my own! I’ve done it for a while now!” Due started to push herself out
of the seat.
“Hey, now,” Kevin held up a hand. “Sit. I’ll give you another cupcake if you behave.”
“You will?” she looked at him as if he were a god.
“Yes, I have some white-chocolate-raspberry ones with sweet cream frosting in the fridge. If
you sit and behave, I’ll let you have one after I make a call.”
“Really? Score! This tastes so much better than that leftover cake in the dumpster. There were
all sorts of ants covering it, and a funny green fuzzy bit on the bottom. That didn’t taste too good,
but the rest did!”
Oooooookay. Making that call now.
He stepped into the next room, bringing up a call menu via his watch. Being one without any
magical ability, he had to rely on technology to help get him around this strange world. As such,
his wristwatch was converted into a PDA and communications device.
The communication screen beeped only for a few seconds before Cinque’s snow-swept face
came on.
“Kevin? I’m sorry, but this isn’t a good time. I’m really busy right now,” she seemed particularly
flustered, her eyes not exactly on the screen.
“You wouldn’t happen to be looking for a lost child named Due?” Kevin asked in his ever calm
tone.
That got her attention, “Wha—how did you know?!”
“She’s in my kitchen, eating a cupcake,” he jerked a thumb behind him. “You wanna come over
and have one too?”
Relief visibly washed over the girl’s features, a tired but thankful smile gracing her face, “You’re
a lifesaver! How did you find her?”
“I suppose I’m a sucker for a crying child, even one I find in an alley,” Kevin said dryly,
shrugging. “I’ll keep an eye on her. See you when you get here.”
“Yes, and thank you again!”
The screen blipped away, and Kevin returned to the kitchen where Due was patiently but
eagerly awaiting her next treat. When presented with the little dessert, the child-cyborg sniffed at
it carefully and took a small nibble. Her childish face lit up like the sun, and she ate the thing as if
it would disappear otherwise.
Crumbs everywhere.
“So…” Kevin started, still taken back slightly by the sheer fury of her eating, “Why were you out
in the cold, crying, and making Cinque worried?”
Due, busy with licking her fingers clean of cream, froze at the question. Her expression and body
visibly drooped as the memories
“We visited my sisters and the doctor today. I thought they would be happy to see me, but
Quattro just yelled at me. The doctor said I wasn’t me, and Un-nee… she said it was painful to
look at me. Tre didn’t even want to try to meet me!”
She seemed ready to start crying again, at least until Kevin interrupted.
“Well that’s crap. Sounds like they don’t even deserve to see you again.”
“But… they said I’m not really Due! I mean, the doctor said he couldn’t prove that I’m not me,
or that I really am me!” she sniffed. “Th-they just… they just abandoned me!”
In a way, the doctor did have a point, but tact was something they all seemed to lack, “No, I
suppose it would be difficult to see you as your former self. At the same time, you could also say
that you are not the original.”
“But Reincarnation Mode brought me back! I know I’m Due! So why won’t they accept me?!”
Ah.
“You call it Reincarnation Mode, right? Do you know what that means?”
“Huh?” Due looked so lost…
“To simply come back to life from death is called resurrection. Reincarnation is to be reborn into
a new body, a new identity. While you may seem similar to Due, that person died during the
battle. You,” he pointed at her. “You represent a second chance, a concept very few get.”
“But my other sisters don’t accept me! They think I’m some crazy person stuck in the body of a
child! And… and… the others just abandoned me! This is a terrible second chance!”
“But you’re wrong, there. I called your sister, and she seemed very worried about you. And the
others, those not in prison, they were happy to see you, right? Everyone is trying to help you,
and undoubtedly they are overjoyed that you are here. Wouldn’t you be thrilled if Cinque came
back? That’s what she feels about you.”
The child Due was silent in her thoughts, though Kevin moved about in the kitchen.
“I’m not saying you should become who you used to be, nor am I saying you should be
someone completely different. You already know who you are, so don’t cry. You are not
alone, and you do have a purpose: you carry the first Due’s will and your own, now.”
A large pot was placed on the stove, as well as a kettle. After lighting the flames, he turned
around and looked at the girl.
“This is your reincarnation, your new lease on life. Savor it.”
There was a knock on the door. Kevin got a few more cupcakes ready.
Due looked up at Cinque as the latter smiled at her softly. "What are we doing here?" There were armed guards and people in prison clothes being led around and she gripped Cinque tightly. "I don't wanna go to prison! No! Don't make me go!" She started crying against Cinque's body. "Please! I don't know what I did, but please! I'm sorry! Don't make me go!"
"Due! Due!" Cinque knelt down to look at her sniffling sister. "It's okay. We're just here to visit someone, that's all."
"We are?" Her voice was timid and meek as Cinque nodded. "Kay!" She started to smile brightly even as Cinque pulled out a tissue and wiped Due's face down with it.
Even though she was smiling at Due as they walked, hand in hand, into the building, Cinque couldn't help but feel sad for her, since she reacted so... Violently to the thought of even going into a prison.
She wanted to say something, anything, to promise Due that she wouldn't be going to prison, but for some reason the words wouldn't form, nor could she get any sound out of her throat.
(---)
"Well, well..." Quattro narrowed her eyes at the screen. "If it isn't the leader of that batch of traitors..." She sighed as she looked at the other screens in front of her, since this was a teleconference call, more than one person was on the screen at one time.
"Quattro!" Uno yelled at her from her own screen. "At least say hello before you start criticizing Cinque." Turning to the small cyborg, Uno smiled. "I'm sorry, it's been too long, Cinque."
"Tsk... What brings you here anyway?" Tre asked as she leaned against the wall in her cell. "I'm not ungrateful for the call, it's just that I didn't expect anyone to call today."
"Yes, it... Was a surprise." Jail chuckled from his view screen. "It is rather nice to see you again, Cinque. Tell me, have your sisters adjusted to normal life yet?"
"For the most part, yes." Cinque nodded at him. "Actually, I'm here because I have someone to show to you." Mentally, she smiled brightly as the four looked at her in curiosity. "Come here." She gestured to someone that they couldn't see. "Say hello." She smiled as a little blond girl walked up to her.
"WAI!!" The girl jumped up and down. "Doctor, Un-nee, Tre, Quattro! You're all alive!"
"Uh... Huh?" Tre looked at the blond, wondering what the hell was going on here. "Cinque, who is that?"
"You're still a frowny face, Tre." The child pouted at her. "And, Un-nee, you're still bland... And Quattro... Didn't I teach you better than that? Seriously, if you're going to try and use two people to kill each other, make sure that you can't be found first!"
"D...Due?!" Quattro had a rare expression of complete and utter astonishment on her face. "What the hell?!"
"That's riiiiiight!" Due grinned, her eyes closed as she waved her hands up and down. "I came back from the dead to torment all of you with visions of dead squirrels that go peep, mice that don't make for good conversations and birds that are extra crunchy when you eat them!"
"...I agree with Quattro, what the hell?"
"She's... Been like this for the past few months, actually..." Cinque shook her head in amusement. "She has a hard time focusing..."
"Winters are cold, you know there's more snow this year than last year? I would know, I ended up sleeping under two feet of it, my feet felt like they'd freeze off." Due stomped the ground, grumbling. "That wasn't very nice, winter! Can't you put less snow out?!"
"And she tends to go off into tangents..." Cinque sweat-dropped heavily.
Jail frowned thoughtfully. "Due..."
"Huh?" She blinked at him innocently as she smiled.
"How are you still alive?"
"Reincarnation Mode!" She grinned as his face took on a look of sudden clarity. "I'm back and smaller than ever! And look!" She suddenly transformed into a small version of Jail. "I still have my shape shifting!"
Jail chuckled and started laughing hard. "Oh... Oh my goodness! I can't believe it! It actually worked?!"
"Doctor?" Quattro looked at his screen in confusion.
Jail chuckled heavily. "I remember now! I installed that mode into Due, in case something happened, since she would be alone more than the rest of her sisters. However, the only way to test that would be..."
"To kill me..." Due looked at him, her eyes suddenly watering up. "You didn't kill me, did you? I don't remember you killing me, please tell me that you didn't kill me! I don't want to know that you killed me!"
Jail chuckled softly. "No, I didn't kill you. I didn't want to risk it not working, so I just decided to abandon it."
"Hmph!" Quattro huffed and turned away. "I bet she's going to go live like the rest of the traitors now."
"Quattro!!" Uno yelled at her and the glasses-wearing cyborg turned to her with a look of disdain.
"What? It's true, isn't it? She's not going to stay in prison and she's going to just live with them." She then looked at Due, who was looking at her with some fear and confusion and snorted. "Probably for the better anyway, I'd rather not know this snivelling, whimpering, pathetic pile of scrap as Due anyway."
"...You mean it?" Due asked in a small voice as Quattro narrowed her eyes at her.
"That's what I'm talking about! The Due I knew and loved was cold-hearted, ruthless and wouldn't take this kind of crap from anyone. As far as I'm concerned, you're not Due, just someone who took her name!"
Due's lips trembled slightly as she looked at Jail. "Doctor..?"
"Well, I can't prove that you're the same Due, but then again, I can't prove that you're not the same Due, so..." He shrugged and leaned back. "Go ahead and do what you want."
Even though Jail smiled at her, she felt her eyes burning. She turned to Uno. "Un-nee..?"
The eldest cyborg shook her head. "It's probably for the best that you turned into that form... Otherwise you'd be in here with us, I'm pretty sure that's not what you'd want."
"Un-nee?"
she smiled sadly at the little cyborg. "I'm sorry, Due, but seeing you like this... It is painful to look at."
"Don't look at me." Tre held her hands up as Due looked at her screen. "We weren't very close to begin with."
As the screens turned off, Cinque frowned and wished that she had listened to Schach and Carim. They had said that this would be a bad idea, but she had thought that it would do Due some good to know that all her sisters were alive. "Come on, Due..." She grabbed the young girl's hand and led her out of the building.
As they got to the street, Cinque winced, the weather had suddenly taken a turn for the worst. She had to pull her hood over her head and tighten it up. She turned to Due to do the same, but the girl was looking down, trembling. "Due?" There were tears falling down Due's face, which wasn't a good thing at all.
"They... They abandoned me!" Due suddenly let out a wail and fled, causing Cinque to fall down.
"DUE!" Cinque got up and ran after her, but quickly lost her after only two street turns. "DUE!"
All Cinque saw were crowds of people, snow starting to fall quickly and the winds picking up. "DUE!"
Page claim for Due
Edit: Previous parts are found at the following links.
Well, an expected reaction I suppose. Part 3 was more cuteness with a side of creepy, but this part is certainly more dramatic. Now they gotta go find Due and then have a touching reunion for a finale!
And adding to deathcurse's post, tangental speech is actually a symptom of schizophrenia (which is not the same as DID btw).
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tempy
Hmm.
Story Hijack GO
Spoiler for PT 4.124943:
Bloody hell, it was cold. The snow swirled around him with growing fury, stinging his cheeks and
ears. He responded by pulling his scarf closer and adjusting his hat. The thick woolen longcoat
served to keep him warm enough, even with the winds pulling at the tails and sending snow
sticking to his shoes.
A good thick stew would be nice, tonight. Possibly a colcannon soup with extra potatoes and
leeks…
A soft sob nearby sounded far louder than any bus or car that rumbled by. He paused,
wondering if what he heard was just a figment of his imagination or just the howl of the wind.
Unfortunately, he would hear it again, much clearer this time. With careful steps, he followed
the sound into an alleyway. Though the wind was calmer here, the chill was just as sharp. He
would have missed it completely had it not been for a shock of blonde hair sticking out against
the accumulating snow.
“…” the man leveled a flat look at the crying child. Another orphan? A homeless child? No, her c
lothes were too neat and new to be one. Perhaps a runaway? Either way, it was none of his
business. At the same time, the weather was getting worse and worse, and the child hardly
seemed prepared to survive the coming storm.
“Ahh, dammit. I might as well open an orphanage,” he muttered and slowly approached the girl.
“Alright, enough with the waterworks. You’ll catch your death of cold if you stay out here, not
to mention the icicles sticking out of your eyes. You got a place to go home to?” he spoke,
stopping a few feet away.
The girl jerked in surprise, her head snapping up to look at the newcomer. Her eyes were red,
and her sleeves were soaked with tears. Just as quickly, she buried her face back into her arms.
“Leave me alone! I don’t want to go anywhere!”
“In case you haven’t noticed, the weather is getting pretty bad.
“No! I don’t even know you! Go away or I’ll bite your legs off!”
A sigh, “My name’s Kevin. I’m a civilian contractor for the Bureau under the administration of
Commander Hayate Yagami, simulated rank: Staff Sergeant. My place is nearby. At the very
least, you can get out of this weather until the storm passes.
“I said go away! I don’t want your help! No one ever helps…!”
Well, he tried. Time to go home—god dammit he couldn’t just leave. Leaving her here would
just sign her death warrant, especially with the snow already accumulating on his shoulders and
fedora. Calling in police would just have her run away, too.
Really. Picking up strays was a bad idea, but he picked her up anyways.
“Stop! Let me go!” despite her struggles, she could not find escape. “Help! I’m being kidnapped
by a sexual deviant! This hoodlum is going to steal my cuteness!!!”
“Oh stop it,” he drawled, half-carrying half-dragging the girl out of the alley. Her cries did draw
the attentions of some people, though one glance at the tag on the man’s jacket was enough to
make them think nothing more. Somehow, the service tag of Riot Force 6 was an extraordinarily
defining piece of his coat. It was enough to make most people shut up when questioning him.
Seeing as her cries for help went unaided, the girl resorted to using her own strength. Opening
wide, she bit down on his arm. Kevin made a grunt, his mouth grimacing at the discomfort.
Those little teeth were sharp, goddamn. “Please stop that. That hurts.”
Her response was the growl cutely and chew harder. The wool was annoyingly thick and hard to
bite through, but she could feel the flesh underneath succumb to her deadly bite.
The two of them were like this until the scenery changed; that is, they arrived at Kevin’s abode.
Even as he put up his hat and scarf, Due was diligently trying to eat his arm. Fortunately, he
managed to entice her off the wool with a cupcake, of which she consumed with terrifying
voracity.
“This is really good! What is it?” she asked, completely forgetting (or ignoring) the red mark on
Kevin’s arm. There were crumbs everywhere.
“Chocolate-pumpkin cupcake with vanilla Swiss buttercream,” he answered idly, placing a glass
of milk in front of the girl. “What’s your name, anyways?”
She gulped down the drink with frightening speed, slamming the glass down with a satisfied
‘puhaah~!’ before answering the question.
“My name is Due!”
Due? As in the number two? Uno, Due, Tre, Quattro—wait a second.
“You wouldn’t happen to related to Cinque, Sette, Nove, and the others, would you?”
He saw the girl stiffen then shake her head wildly in negative.
“No! I don’t know any of them!”
Bingo. “It isn’t nice to lie, you know.”
“Will you kick me out if I say yes?” she looked rather terrified at the thought.
Kevin blinked, “No, I won’t kick you out, but someone’s bound to worry about you.”
“Hmph, I can survive on my own! I’ve done it for a while now!” Due started to push herself out
of the seat.
“Hey, now,” Kevin held up a hand. “Sit. I’ll give you another cupcake if you behave.”
“You will?” she looked at him as if he were a god.
“Yes, I have some white-chocolate-raspberry ones with sweet cream frosting in the fridge. If
you sit and behave, I’ll let you have one after I make a call.”
“Really? Score! This tastes so much better than that leftover cake in the dumpster. There were
all sorts of ants covering it, and a funny green fuzzy bit on the bottom. That didn’t taste too good,
but the rest did!”
Oooooookay. Making that call now.
He stepped into the next room, bringing up a call menu via his watch. Being one without any
magical ability, he had to rely on technology to help get him around this strange world. As such,
his wristwatch was converted into a PDA and communications device.
The communication screen beeped only for a few seconds before Cinque’s snow-swept face
came on.
“Kevin? I’m sorry, but this isn’t a good time. I’m really busy right now,” she seemed particularly
flustered, her eyes not exactly on the screen.
“You wouldn’t happen to be looking for a lost child named Due?” Kevin asked in his ever calm
tone.
That got her attention, “Wha—how did you know?!”
“She’s in my kitchen, eating a cupcake,” he jerked a thumb behind him. “You wanna come over
and have one too?”
Relief visibly washed over the girl’s features, a tired but thankful smile gracing her face, “You’re
a lifesaver! How did you find her?”
“I suppose I’m a sucker for a crying child, even one I find in an alley,” Kevin said dryly,
shrugging. “I’ll keep an eye on her. See you when you get here.”
“Yes, and thank you again!”
The screen blipped away, and Kevin returned to the kitchen where Due was patiently but
eagerly awaiting her next treat. When presented with the little dessert, the child-cyborg sniffed at
it carefully and took a small nibble. Her childish face lit up like the sun, and she ate the thing as if
it would disappear otherwise.
Crumbs everywhere.
“So…” Kevin started, still taken back slightly by the sheer fury of her eating, “Why were you out
in the cold, crying, and making Cinque worried?”
Due, busy with licking her fingers clean of cream, froze at the question. Her expression and body
visibly drooped as the memories
“We visited my sisters and the doctor today. I thought they would be happy to see me, but
Quattro just yelled at me. The doctor said I wasn’t me, and Un-nee… she said it was painful to
look at me. Tre didn’t even want to try to meet me!”
She seemed ready to start crying again, at least until Kevin interrupted.
“Well that’s crap. Sounds like they don’t even deserve to see you again.”
“But… they said I’m not really Due! I mean, the doctor said he couldn’t prove that I’m not me,
or that I really am me!” she sniffed. “Th-they just… they just abandoned me!”
In a way, the doctor did have a point, but tact was something they all seemed to lack, “No, I
suppose it would be difficult to see you as your former self. At the same time, you could also say
that you are not the original.”
“But Reincarnation Mode brought me back! I know I’m Due! So why won’t they accept me?!”
Ah.
“You call it Reincarnation Mode, right? Do you know what that means?”
“Huh?” Due looked so lost…
“To simply come back to life from death is called resurrection. Reincarnation is to be reborn into
a new body, a new identity. While you may seem similar to Due, that person died during the
battle. You,” he pointed at her. “You represent a second chance, a concept very few get.”
“But my other sisters don’t accept me! They think I’m some crazy person stuck in the body of a
child! And… and… the others just abandoned me! This is a terrible second chance!”
“But you’re wrong, there. I called your sister, and she seemed very worried about you. And the
others, those not in prison, they were happy to see you, right? Everyone is trying to help you,
and undoubtedly they are overjoyed that you are here. Wouldn’t you be thrilled if Cinque came
back? That’s what she feels about you.”
The child Due was silent in her thoughts, though Kevin moved about in the kitchen.
“I’m not saying you should become who you used to be, nor am I saying you should be
someone completely different. You already know who you are, so don’t cry. You are not
alone, and you do have a purpose: you carry the first Due’s will and your own, now.”
A large pot was placed on the stove, as well as a kettle. After lighting the flames, he turned
around and looked at the girl.
“This is your reincarnation, your new lease on life. Savor it.”
There was a knock on the door. Kevin got a few more cupcakes ready.
LOOK WHAT YOU MADE ME DO.
Heh, that'd be a nice way to end it too Kevin's going to be busy cleaning up all those crumbs later
A lot happens here when you leave for the weekend doesn't it.
Nanya - The maximum cuteness level of everything was just blown away...until chapter 4, that was sad, very sad. Although judging by her reaction no one's going to make Cute-adorable-Quattro any time soon.
To thin it was all inspired by one image.
__________________
"The eyes are the windows that let us gaze upon the soul"
"When desperate there are two choices: Lock shields for the last stand or draw your sword for the final charge"
"There are no winners or losers, there are only the living and the dead."
Eh, I can't imagine going back to look it up , but I believe that it was the "Jail Bait Wait" story where I had a bunch of random items like umbrellas and staplers that you had to include in the story?
Eh, I saved the link for it when I first posted it to the forum, so if I dig through my Microsoft documents it'll come up eventually. But yeah, I vaguely remember something about involving a stapler, an umbrella, a mention of Yuuno, and a spaceship.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tempy
Hmm.
Story Hijack GO
Spoiler for PT 4.124943:
Bloody hell, it was cold. The snow swirled around him with growing fury, stinging his cheeks and
ears. He responded by pulling his scarf closer and adjusting his hat. The thick woolen longcoat
served to keep him warm enough, even with the winds pulling at the tails and sending snow
sticking to his shoes.
A good thick stew would be nice, tonight. Possibly a colcannon soup with extra potatoes and
leeks…
A soft sob nearby sounded far louder than any bus or car that rumbled by. He paused,
wondering if what he heard was just a figment of his imagination or just the howl of the wind.
Unfortunately, he would hear it again, much clearer this time. With careful steps, he followed
the sound into an alleyway. Though the wind was calmer here, the chill was just as sharp. He
would have missed it completely had it not been for a shock of blonde hair sticking out against
the accumulating snow.
“…” the man leveled a flat look at the crying child. Another orphan? A homeless child? No, her c
lothes were too neat and new to be one. Perhaps a runaway? Either way, it was none of his
business. At the same time, the weather was getting worse and worse, and the child hardly
seemed prepared to survive the coming storm.
“Ahh, dammit. I might as well open an orphanage,” he muttered and slowly approached the girl.
“Alright, enough with the waterworks. You’ll catch your death of cold if you stay out here, not
to mention the icicles sticking out of your eyes. You got a place to go home to?” he spoke,
stopping a few feet away.
The girl jerked in surprise, her head snapping up to look at the newcomer. Her eyes were red,
and her sleeves were soaked with tears. Just as quickly, she buried her face back into her arms.
“Leave me alone! I don’t want to go anywhere!”
“In case you haven’t noticed, the weather is getting pretty bad.
“No! I don’t even know you! Go away or I’ll bite your legs off!”
A sigh, “My name’s Kevin. I’m a civilian contractor for the Bureau under the administration of
Commander Hayate Yagami, simulated rank: Staff Sergeant. My place is nearby. At the very
least, you can get out of this weather until the storm passes.
“I said go away! I don’t want your help! No one ever helps…!”
Well, he tried. Time to go home—god dammit he couldn’t just leave. Leaving her here would
just sign her death warrant, especially with the snow already accumulating on his shoulders and
fedora. Calling in police would just have her run away, too.
Really. Picking up strays was a bad idea, but he picked her up anyways.
“Stop! Let me go!” despite her struggles, she could not find escape. “Help! I’m being kidnapped
by a sexual deviant! This hoodlum is going to steal my cuteness!!!”
“Oh stop it,” he drawled, half-carrying half-dragging the girl out of the alley. Her cries did draw
the attentions of some people, though one glance at the tag on the man’s jacket was enough to
make them think nothing more. Somehow, the service tag of Riot Force 6 was an extraordinarily
defining piece of his coat. It was enough to make most people shut up when questioning him.
Seeing as her cries for help went unaided, the girl resorted to using her own strength. Opening
wide, she bit down on his arm. Kevin made a grunt, his mouth grimacing at the discomfort.
Those little teeth were sharp, goddamn. “Please stop that. That hurts.”
Her response was the growl cutely and chew harder. The wool was annoyingly thick and hard to
bite through, but she could feel the flesh underneath succumb to her deadly bite.
The two of them were like this until the scenery changed; that is, they arrived at Kevin’s abode.
Even as he put up his hat and scarf, Due was diligently trying to eat his arm. Fortunately, he
managed to entice her off the wool with a cupcake, of which she consumed with terrifying
voracity.
“This is really good! What is it?” she asked, completely forgetting (or ignoring) the red mark on
Kevin’s arm. There were crumbs everywhere.
“Chocolate-pumpkin cupcake with vanilla Swiss buttercream,” he answered idly, placing a glass
of milk in front of the girl. “What’s your name, anyways?”
She gulped down the drink with frightening speed, slamming the glass down with a satisfied
‘puhaah~!’ before answering the question.
“My name is Due!”
Due? As in the number two? Uno, Due, Tre, Quattro—wait a second.
“You wouldn’t happen to related to Cinque, Sette, Nove, and the others, would you?”
He saw the girl stiffen then shake her head wildly in negative.
“No! I don’t know any of them!”
Bingo. “It isn’t nice to lie, you know.”
“Will you kick me out if I say yes?” she looked rather terrified at the thought.
Kevin blinked, “No, I won’t kick you out, but someone’s bound to worry about you.”
“Hmph, I can survive on my own! I’ve done it for a while now!” Due started to push herself out
of the seat.
“Hey, now,” Kevin held up a hand. “Sit. I’ll give you another cupcake if you behave.”
“You will?” she looked at him as if he were a god.
“Yes, I have some white-chocolate-raspberry ones with sweet cream frosting in the fridge. If
you sit and behave, I’ll let you have one after I make a call.”
“Really? Score! This tastes so much better than that leftover cake in the dumpster. There were
all sorts of ants covering it, and a funny green fuzzy bit on the bottom. That didn’t taste too good,
but the rest did!”
Oooooookay. Making that call now.
He stepped into the next room, bringing up a call menu via his watch. Being one without any
magical ability, he had to rely on technology to help get him around this strange world. As such,
his wristwatch was converted into a PDA and communications device.
The communication screen beeped only for a few seconds before Cinque’s snow-swept face
came on.
“Kevin? I’m sorry, but this isn’t a good time. I’m really busy right now,” she seemed particularly
flustered, her eyes not exactly on the screen.
“You wouldn’t happen to be looking for a lost child named Due?” Kevin asked in his ever calm
tone.
That got her attention, “Wha—how did you know?!”
“She’s in my kitchen, eating a cupcake,” he jerked a thumb behind him. “You wanna come over
and have one too?”
Relief visibly washed over the girl’s features, a tired but thankful smile gracing her face, “You’re
a lifesaver! How did you find her?”
“I suppose I’m a sucker for a crying child, even one I find in an alley,” Kevin said dryly,
shrugging. “I’ll keep an eye on her. See you when you get here.”
“Yes, and thank you again!”
The screen blipped away, and Kevin returned to the kitchen where Due was patiently but
eagerly awaiting her next treat. When presented with the little dessert, the child-cyborg sniffed at
it carefully and took a small nibble. Her childish face lit up like the sun, and she ate the thing as if
it would disappear otherwise.
Crumbs everywhere.
“So…” Kevin started, still taken back slightly by the sheer fury of her eating, “Why were you out
in the cold, crying, and making Cinque worried?”
Due, busy with licking her fingers clean of cream, froze at the question. Her expression and body
visibly drooped as the memories
“We visited my sisters and the doctor today. I thought they would be happy to see me, but
Quattro just yelled at me. The doctor said I wasn’t me, and Un-nee… she said it was painful to
look at me. Tre didn’t even want to try to meet me!”
She seemed ready to start crying again, at least until Kevin interrupted.
“Well that’s crap. Sounds like they don’t even deserve to see you again.”
“But… they said I’m not really Due! I mean, the doctor said he couldn’t prove that I’m not me,
or that I really am me!” she sniffed. “Th-they just… they just abandoned me!”
In a way, the doctor did have a point, but tact was something they all seemed to lack, “No, I
suppose it would be difficult to see you as your former self. At the same time, you could also say
that you are not the original.”
“But Reincarnation Mode brought me back! I know I’m Due! So why won’t they accept me?!”
Ah.
“You call it Reincarnation Mode, right? Do you know what that means?”
“Huh?” Due looked so lost…
“To simply come back to life from death is called resurrection. Reincarnation is to be reborn into
a new body, a new identity. While you may seem similar to Due, that person died during the
battle. You,” he pointed at her. “You represent a second chance, a concept very few get.”
“But my other sisters don’t accept me! They think I’m some crazy person stuck in the body of a
child! And… and… the others just abandoned me! This is a terrible second chance!”
“But you’re wrong, there. I called your sister, and she seemed very worried about you. And the
others, those not in prison, they were happy to see you, right? Everyone is trying to help you,
and undoubtedly they are overjoyed that you are here. Wouldn’t you be thrilled if Cinque came
back? That’s what she feels about you.”
The child Due was silent in her thoughts, though Kevin moved about in the kitchen.
“I’m not saying you should become who you used to be, nor am I saying you should be
someone completely different. You already know who you are, so don’t cry. You are not
alone, and you do have a purpose: you carry the first Due’s will and your own, now.”
A large pot was placed on the stove, as well as a kettle. After lighting the flames, he turned
around and looked at the girl.
“This is your reincarnation, your new lease on life. Savor it.”
There was a knock on the door. Kevin got a few more cupcakes ready.
LOOK WHAT YOU MADE ME DO.
I approve. You should hijack stories more often, Tempy.
Of course, now I get the feeling Kevin will never shake Due off. She'll be after his cupcakes!
Eh, I saved the link for it when I first posted it to the forum, so if I dig through my Microsoft documents it'll come up eventually. But yeah, I vaguely remember something about involving a stapler, an umbrella, a mention of Yuuno, and a spaceship.
@_@
Okay. I'm interested.
Edit:
Why did this description vaguely remembers me of a episode of Friends?
Due looked up at Cinque as the latter smiled at her softly. "What are we doing here?" There were armed guards and people in prison clothes being led around and she gripped Cinque tightly. "I don't wanna go to prison! No! Don't make me go!" She started crying against Cinque's body. "Please! I don't know what I did, but please! I'm sorry! Don't make me go!"
"Due! Due!" Cinque knelt down to look at her sniffling sister. "It's okay. We're just here to visit someone, that's all."
"We are?" Her voice was timid and meek as Cinque nodded. "Kay!" She started to smile brightly even as Cinque pulled out a tissue and wiped Due's face down with it.
Even though she was smiling at Due as they walked, hand in hand, into the building, Cinque couldn't help but feel sad for her, since she reacted so... Violently to the thought of even going into a prison.
She wanted to say something, anything, to promise Due that she wouldn't be going to prison, but for some reason the words wouldn't form, nor could she get any sound out of her throat.
(---)
"Well, well..." Quattro narrowed her eyes at the screen. "If it isn't the leader of that batch of traitors..." She sighed as she looked at the other screens in front of her, since this was a teleconference call, more than one person was on the screen at one time.
"Quattro!" Uno yelled at her from her own screen. "At least say hello before you start criticizing Cinque." Turning to the small cyborg, Uno smiled. "I'm sorry, it's been too long, Cinque."
"Tsk... What brings you here anyway?" Tre asked as she leaned against the wall in her cell. "I'm not ungrateful for the call, it's just that I didn't expect anyone to call today."
"Yes, it... Was a surprise." Jail chuckled from his view screen. "It is rather nice to see you again, Cinque. Tell me, have your sisters adjusted to normal life yet?"
"For the most part, yes." Cinque nodded at him. "Actually, I'm here because I have someone to show to you." Mentally, she smiled brightly as the four looked at her in curiosity. "Come here." She gestured to someone that they couldn't see. "Say hello." She smiled as a little blond girl walked up to her.
"WAI!!" The girl jumped up and down. "Doctor, Un-nee, Tre, Quattro! You're all alive!"
"Uh... Huh?" Tre looked at the blond, wondering what the hell was going on here. "Cinque, who is that?"
"You're still a frowny face, Tre." The child pouted at her. "And, Un-nee, you're still bland... And Quattro... Didn't I teach you better than that? Seriously, if you're going to try and use two people to kill each other, make sure that you can't be found first!"
"D...Due?!" Quattro had a rare expression of complete and utter astonishment on her face. "What the hell?!"
"That's riiiiiight!" Due grinned, her eyes closed as she waved her hands up and down. "I came back from the dead to torment all of you with visions of dead squirrels that go peep, mice that don't make for good conversations and birds that are extra crunchy when you eat them!"
"...I agree with Quattro, what the hell?"
"She's... Been like this for the past few months, actually..." Cinque shook her head in amusement. "She has a hard time focusing..."
"Winters are cold, you know there's more snow this year than last year? I would know, I ended up sleeping under two feet of it, my feet felt like they'd freeze off." Due stomped the ground, grumbling. "That wasn't very nice, winter! Can't you put less snow out?!"
"And she tends to go off into tangents..." Cinque sweat-dropped heavily.
Jail frowned thoughtfully. "Due..."
"Huh?" She blinked at him innocently as she smiled.
"How are you still alive?"
"Reincarnation Mode!" She grinned as his face took on a look of sudden clarity. "I'm back and smaller than ever! And look!" She suddenly transformed into a small version of Jail. "I still have my shape shifting!"
Jail chuckled and started laughing hard. "Oh... Oh my goodness! I can't believe it! It actually worked?!"
"Doctor?" Quattro looked at his screen in confusion.
Jail chuckled heavily. "I remember now! I installed that mode into Due, in case something happened, since she would be alone more than the rest of her sisters. However, the only way to test that would be..."
"To kill me..." Due looked at him, her eyes suddenly watering up. "You didn't kill me, did you? I don't remember you killing me, please tell me that you didn't kill me! I don't want to know that you killed me!"
Jail chuckled softly. "No, I didn't kill you. I didn't want to risk it not working, so I just decided to abandon it."
"Hmph!" Quattro huffed and turned away. "I bet she's going to go live like the rest of the traitors now."
"Quattro!!" Uno yelled at her and the glasses-wearing cyborg turned to her with a look of disdain.
"What? It's true, isn't it? She's not going to stay in prison and she's going to just live with them." She then looked at Due, who was looking at her with some fear and confusion and snorted. "Probably for the better anyway, I'd rather not know this snivelling, whimpering, pathetic pile of scrap as Due anyway."
"...You mean it?" Due asked in a small voice as Quattro narrowed her eyes at her.
"That's what I'm talking about! The Due I knew and loved was cold-hearted, ruthless and wouldn't take this kind of crap from anyone. As far as I'm concerned, you're not Due, just someone who took her name!"
Due's lips trembled slightly as she looked at Jail. "Doctor..?"
"Well, I can't prove that you're the same Due, but then again, I can't prove that you're not the same Due, so..." He shrugged and leaned back. "Go ahead and do what you want."
Even though Jail smiled at her, she felt her eyes burning. She turned to Uno. "Un-nee..?"
The eldest cyborg shook her head. "It's probably for the best that you turned into that form... Otherwise you'd be in here with us, I'm pretty sure that's not what you'd want."
"Un-nee?"
she smiled sadly at the little cyborg. "I'm sorry, Due, but seeing you like this... It is painful to look at."
"Don't look at me." Tre held her hands up as Due looked at her screen. "We weren't very close to begin with."
As the screens turned off, Cinque frowned and wished that she had listened to Schach and Carim. They had said that this would be a bad idea, but she had thought that it would do Due some good to know that all her sisters were alive. "Come on, Due..." She grabbed the young girl's hand and led her out of the building.
As they got to the street, Cinque winced, the weather had suddenly taken a turn for the worst. She had to pull her hood over her head and tighten it up. She turned to Due to do the same, but the girl was looking down, trembling. "Due?" There were tears falling down Due's face, which wasn't a good thing at all.
"They... They abandoned me!" Due suddenly let out a wail and fled, causing Cinque to fall down.
"DUE!" Cinque got up and ran after her, but quickly lost her after only two street turns. "DUE!"
All Cinque saw were crowds of people, snow starting to fall quickly and the winds picking up. "DUE!"
Page claim for Due
Edit: Previous parts are found at the following links.
Maybe it's the shock, but I wonder why none of them asked why she acted like this...
And now I have a horrifying idea: they say it's amazing Due managed to live so long like this... Who says she did? Considering how screwed up her brain is, maybe it erased the trauma of more reincarnations? But since she consumed herself again, which meant a sick body...
__________________
I hate sad and bittersweet endings. Why? Because I think the real world is sad enough as it is. Must our stories be sad too?
Here's a quick joke I wanted to use in some other fic, but I figured I'd write it up now for a quick laugh
Spoiler for The Hardest Part:
Yuuno Scrya was a man of patience. Surely he had to be, given his profession. He was rather adept at breaking through the surface, venturing in deeper and deeper into the earth in search of hidden wonders. The arduous labour only made the pay off that much sweeter, and the sights he’d see were truly marvels to behold.
However, there is always an exception to everything. There were some particular concealed treasures that he just couldn’t wait to get his hands on, to study thoroughly, to bury his face in. But these items were well guarded and the lengthy procedure to expose them was a frustrating task.
Spoiler:
“Why do TSAB uniforms have to have so many layers!” He muttered as he undid more buttons.
His partner chuckled, always finding his intent expression quite the sight to see, even if she did dislike waiting as much as he did.
Spoiler for Notes:
His partner can be Nanoha, Fate, Hayate, or whoever else you want Though I originally had this idea during a Hayate/Yuuno lemon, which would be followed by her putting on her barrier jacket for easy access.
But seriously, those uniforms... You got the jacket, the shirt, and those black undershirts to get past before you get to the goodies. Those damn undershirts completely rob us of the possibility of them undoing the top buttons of their shirts to show some skin I find that to be a particularly hot look on both sexes.
There's also those ties and ribbons, which may add a few minutes or more depending how impatient or frustrated you are. One can hope they are pin-ups / clip-ons...
Bloody hell, it was cold. The snow swirled around him with growing fury, stinging his cheeks and
ears. He responded by pulling his scarf closer and adjusting his hat. The thick woolen longcoat
served to keep him warm enough, even with the winds pulling at the tails and sending snow
sticking to his shoes.
A good thick stew would be nice, tonight. Possibly a colcannon soup with extra potatoes and
leeks…
A soft sob nearby sounded far louder than any bus or car that rumbled by. He paused,
wondering if what he heard was just a figment of his imagination or just the howl of the wind.
Unfortunately, he would hear it again, much clearer this time. With careful steps, he followed
the sound into an alleyway. Though the wind was calmer here, the chill was just as sharp. He
would have missed it completely had it not been for a shock of blonde hair sticking out against
the accumulating snow.
“…” the man leveled a flat look at the crying child. Another orphan? A homeless child? No, her c
lothes were too neat and new to be one. Perhaps a runaway? Either way, it was none of his
business. At the same time, the weather was getting worse and worse, and the child hardly
seemed prepared to survive the coming storm.
“Ahh, dammit. I might as well open an orphanage,” he muttered and slowly approached the girl.
“Alright, enough with the waterworks. You’ll catch your death of cold if you stay out here, not
to mention the icicles sticking out of your eyes. You got a place to go home to?” he spoke,
stopping a few feet away.
The girl jerked in surprise, her head snapping up to look at the newcomer. Her eyes were red,
and her sleeves were soaked with tears. Just as quickly, she buried her face back into her arms.
“Leave me alone! I don’t want to go anywhere!”
“In case you haven’t noticed, the weather is getting pretty bad.
“No! I don’t even know you! Go away or I’ll bite your legs off!”
A sigh, “My name’s Kevin. I’m a civilian contractor for the Bureau under the administration of
Commander Hayate Yagami, simulated rank: Staff Sergeant. My place is nearby. At the very
least, you can get out of this weather until the storm passes.
“I said go away! I don’t want your help! No one ever helps…!”
Well, he tried. Time to go home—god dammit he couldn’t just leave. Leaving her here would
just sign her death warrant, especially with the snow already accumulating on his shoulders and
fedora. Calling in police would just have her run away, too.
Really. Picking up strays was a bad idea, but he picked her up anyways.
“Stop! Let me go!” despite her struggles, she could not find escape. “Help! I’m being kidnapped
by a sexual deviant! This hoodlum is going to steal my cuteness!!!”
“Oh stop it,” he drawled, half-carrying half-dragging the girl out of the alley. Her cries did draw
the attentions of some people, though one glance at the tag on the man’s jacket was enough to
make them think nothing more. Somehow, the service tag of Riot Force 6 was an extraordinarily
defining piece of his coat. It was enough to make most people shut up when questioning him.
Seeing as her cries for help went unaided, the girl resorted to using her own strength. Opening
wide, she bit down on his arm. Kevin made a grunt, his mouth grimacing at the discomfort.
Those little teeth were sharp, goddamn. “Please stop that. That hurts.”
Her response was the growl cutely and chew harder. The wool was annoyingly thick and hard to
bite through, but she could feel the flesh underneath succumb to her deadly bite.
The two of them were like this until the scenery changed; that is, they arrived at Kevin’s abode.
Even as he put up his hat and scarf, Due was diligently trying to eat his arm. Fortunately, he
managed to entice her off the wool with a cupcake, of which she consumed with terrifying
voracity.
“This is really good! What is it?” she asked, completely forgetting (or ignoring) the red mark on
Kevin’s arm. There were crumbs everywhere.
“Chocolate-pumpkin cupcake with vanilla Swiss buttercream,” he answered idly, placing a glass
of milk in front of the girl. “What’s your name, anyways?”
She gulped down the drink with frightening speed, slamming the glass down with a satisfied
‘puhaah~!’ before answering the question.
“My name is Due!”
Due? As in the number two? Uno, Due, Tre, Quattro—wait a second.
“You wouldn’t happen to related to Cinque, Sette, Nove, and the others, would you?”
He saw the girl stiffen then shake her head wildly in negative.
“No! I don’t know any of them!”
Bingo. “It isn’t nice to lie, you know.”
“Will you kick me out if I say yes?” she looked rather terrified at the thought.
Kevin blinked, “No, I won’t kick you out, but someone’s bound to worry about you.”
“Hmph, I can survive on my own! I’ve done it for a while now!” Due started to push herself out
of the seat.
“Hey, now,” Kevin held up a hand. “Sit. I’ll give you another cupcake if you behave.”
“You will?” she looked at him as if he were a god.
“Yes, I have some white-chocolate-raspberry ones with sweet cream frosting in the fridge. If
you sit and behave, I’ll let you have one after I make a call.”
“Really? Score! This tastes so much better than that leftover cake in the dumpster. There were
all sorts of ants covering it, and a funny green fuzzy bit on the bottom. That didn’t taste too good,
but the rest did!”
Oooooookay. Making that call now.
He stepped into the next room, bringing up a call menu via his watch. Being one without any
magical ability, he had to rely on technology to help get him around this strange world. As such,
his wristwatch was converted into a PDA and communications device.
The communication screen beeped only for a few seconds before Cinque’s snow-swept face
came on.
“Kevin? I’m sorry, but this isn’t a good time. I’m really busy right now,” she seemed particularly
flustered, her eyes not exactly on the screen.
“You wouldn’t happen to be looking for a lost child named Due?” Kevin asked in his ever calm
tone.
That got her attention, “Wha—how did you know?!”
“She’s in my kitchen, eating a cupcake,” he jerked a thumb behind him. “You wanna come over
and have one too?”
Relief visibly washed over the girl’s features, a tired but thankful smile gracing her face, “You’re
a lifesaver! How did you find her?”
“I suppose I’m a sucker for a crying child, even one I find in an alley,” Kevin said dryly,
shrugging. “I’ll keep an eye on her. See you when you get here.”
“Yes, and thank you again!”
The screen blipped away, and Kevin returned to the kitchen where Due was patiently but
eagerly awaiting her next treat. When presented with the little dessert, the child-cyborg sniffed at
it carefully and took a small nibble. Her childish face lit up like the sun, and she ate the thing as if
it would disappear otherwise.
Crumbs everywhere.
“So…” Kevin started, still taken back slightly by the sheer fury of her eating, “Why were you out
in the cold, crying, and making Cinque worried?”
Due, busy with licking her fingers clean of cream, froze at the question. Her expression and body
visibly drooped as the memories
“We visited my sisters and the doctor today. I thought they would be happy to see me, but
Quattro just yelled at me. The doctor said I wasn’t me, and Un-nee… she said it was painful to
look at me. Tre didn’t even want to try to meet me!”
She seemed ready to start crying again, at least until Kevin interrupted.
“Well that’s crap. Sounds like they don’t even deserve to see you again.”
“But… they said I’m not really Due! I mean, the doctor said he couldn’t prove that I’m not me,
or that I really am me!” she sniffed. “Th-they just… they just abandoned me!”
In a way, the doctor did have a point, but tact was something they all seemed to lack, “No, I
suppose it would be difficult to see you as your former self. At the same time, you could also say
that you are not the original.”
“But Reincarnation Mode brought me back! I know I’m Due! So why won’t they accept me?!”
Ah.
“You call it Reincarnation Mode, right? Do you know what that means?”
“Huh?” Due looked so lost…
“To simply come back to life from death is called resurrection. Reincarnation is to be reborn into
a new body, a new identity. While you may seem similar to Due, that person died during the
battle. You,” he pointed at her. “You represent a second chance, a concept very few get.”
“But my other sisters don’t accept me! They think I’m some crazy person stuck in the body of a
child! And… and… the others just abandoned me! This is a terrible second chance!”
“But you’re wrong, there. I called your sister, and she seemed very worried about you. And the
others, those not in prison, they were happy to see you, right? Everyone is trying to help you,
and undoubtedly they are overjoyed that you are here. Wouldn’t you be thrilled if Cinque came
back? That’s what she feels about you.”
The child Due was silent in her thoughts, though Kevin moved about in the kitchen.
“I’m not saying you should become who you used to be, nor am I saying you should be
someone completely different. You already know who you are, so don’t cry. You are not
alone, and you do have a purpose: you carry the first Due’s will and your own, now.”
A large pot was placed on the stove, as well as a kettle. After lighting the flames, he turned
around and looked at the girl.
“This is your reincarnation, your new lease on life. Savor it.”
There was a knock on the door. Kevin got a few more cupcakes ready.
LOOK WHAT YOU MADE ME DO.
Tempy, that's awesome.
...
May I use this as a special chapter when I post it up on FF.Net?
__________________
My fics Due to certain things, I am not here, find me over on TFF.
Here's a quick joke I wanted to use in some other fic, but I figured I'd write it up now for a quick laugh
Spoiler for The Hardest Part:
Yuuno Scrya was a man of patience. Surely he had to be, given his profession. He was rather adept at breaking through the surface, venturing in deeper and deeper into the earth in search of hidden wonders. The arduous labour only made the pay off that much sweeter, and the sights he’d see were truly marvels to behold.
However, there is always an exception to everything. There were some particular concealed treasures that he just couldn’t wait to get his hands on, to study thoroughly, to bury his face in. But these items were well guarded and the lengthy procedure to expose them was a frustrating task.
Spoiler:
“Why do TSAB uniforms have to have so many layers!” He muttered as he undid more buttons.
His partner chuckled, always finding his intent expression quite the sight to see, even if she did dislike waiting as much as he did.
Spoiler for Notes:
His partner can be Nanoha, Fate, Hayate, or whoever else you want Though I originally had this idea during a Hayate/Yuuno lemon, which would be followed by her putting on her barrier jacket for easy access.
But seriously, those uniforms... You got the jacket, the shirt, and those black undershirts to get past before you get to the goodies. Those damn undershirts completely rob us of the possibility of them undoing the top buttons of their shirts to show some skin I find that to be a particularly hot look on both sexes.
That's one thing to be sure of. Maybe someone like Vice could teach him the basics of the "procedure"...
Or maybe he should just have a sharp knife at hand to cut his way into happiness.
(Yes. I do consider Vice as a Don Juan in Nanoha)
Edit:
About Allquall's [M]Other Love: I hope it's an error from FF.net, because that's a story that everyone should read.
You can never have too many knives in anime, there's always something 'round every corner.
And I hope it's an error on ff.net. (there's been a lot of those lately)
__________________
"The eyes are the windows that let us gaze upon the soul"
"When desperate there are two choices: Lock shields for the last stand or draw your sword for the final charge"
"There are no winners or losers, there are only the living and the dead."
Here's a quick joke I wanted to use in some other fic, but I figured I'd write it up now for a quick laugh
Spoiler for The Hardest Part:
Yuuno Scrya was a man of patience. Surely he had to be, given his profession. He was rather adept at breaking through the surface, venturing in deeper and deeper into the earth in search of hidden wonders. The arduous labour only made the pay off that much sweeter, and the sights he’d see were truly marvels to behold.
However, there is always an exception to everything. There were some particular concealed treasures that he just couldn’t wait to get his hands on, to study thoroughly, to bury his face in. But these items were well guarded and the lengthy procedure to expose them was a frustrating task.
Spoiler:
“Why do TSAB uniforms have to have so many layers!” He muttered as he undid more buttons.
His partner chuckled, always finding his intent expression quite the sight to see, even if she did dislike waiting as much as he did.
Spoiler for Notes:
His partner can be Nanoha, Fate, Hayate, or whoever else you want Though I originally had this idea during a Hayate/Yuuno lemon, which would be followed by her putting on her barrier jacket for easy access.
But seriously, those uniforms... You got the jacket, the shirt, and those black undershirts to get past before you get to the goodies. Those damn undershirts completely rob us of the possibility of them undoing the top buttons of their shirts to show some skin I find that to be a particularly hot look on both sexes.
Heh, beware the from enemy within... but right now the enemy very close. Don`t give up Yuuno.
"Damn it!" Nove cursed as the winds picked up and forced her to put some goggles over her eyes to keep the snow and wind out of her face. "DUE!"
Beside her, Deed was using her blades as a glow stick so they could see better. The younger cyborg was incredibly worried as she and Nove ran through the streets. "I can't believe Due would run off like that." Deed shivered as a gust of wind blew snow off the ground and pelted the both of them with enough snow that they were white-washed in only a second. "I'm glad Cinque called us." Deed commented as the two wiped off the snow.
Nove nodded, but she was still so worried. "And tonight of all nights!"
(---)
"Due!" Otto called out as she and Wendi checked alley after alley. "Due!"
"Come on! Due!" Wendi called out for her sister. "We'll get some hot chocolate!" Her voice was wavering slightly. "Where is she?!"
Otto shook her head, the sun had already set and there were fewer people out, but it didn't make it any easier.
(---)
"This is all my fault." Cinque said as she and Zafira ran down the streets. "If only I hadn't taken her to see them!"
"Now isn't the time to blame yourself." He commented to her. "Save the blame for after we find her." He chanced a glance at her snow-covered face, and mentally sighed at the worried look on her face. "You called everyone you could to help, that's all you could do. We'll find her."
She nodded at the blue and white wolf, thankful for his help in this. "Is that?!" She ran forward and pulled on something sticking out of the snow. "Due's scarf..."
"We'll find her." Zafira told her as they doubled their efforts.
A screen popped up in front of them, revealing Sein's face. "Any luck?"
"No." Cinque shook her head. "I found Due's scarf."
Sein nodded. "I'll keep looking on the north end." Both Zafira and Cinque could see the snow sticking to Sein's face and the way her teeth were chattering.
"Sein, are you sure?"
She nodded at them. "Don't worry, Dieci's here with me and Subaru and Ginga are searching as well. We'll find Due."
"I hope so..." Cinque looked at the scarf and squeezed it tightly. "Due... Where are you?"
(---)
She ran, she stumbled, she cried when her scarf slipped off her neck and flew away in the wind. "Why?" She cried out to no one in particular. "Why?! I'm Due! I know I'm Due!" Getting up on her feet, she continued to run forward and slipped as she ran across some ice. "AAAAH!" She found herself sliding uncontrollably towards the street.
Falling to her knees, she sobbed and pushed herself to her feet, stumbling, since the snow was so deep. She was about to take a step forward when sudden lights flooded where she was at. Turning her head, her eyes widened as she saw a car swerving for her. "NOOOO!" She closed her eyes, preparing for the end.
Suddenly she felt someone grab her and pull her back, just in time as the car zoomed by with a drawn out honk.
"Huh?" Due blinked as she found herself sitting on the ground. "Who?" She looked around and turned, blinking as she saw an older man, who smiled sadly at her, before turning away and walking without saying a word. "Mister?" When she got no answer as he walked away, she stomped the ground and took off running after him. He seemed familiar, and she wasn't sure why.
(---)
It had been over two hours and there had been no sight or smell of Due in that time.
"Cinque..." Zafira looked at her sadly. "I'm sorry."
"We can't... We can't give up on her..." Cinque shivered heavily and looked as if she was about to collapse on him.
"I'm not saying we should..." He sighed and slipped under her legs, propping her up on his back as he continued to walk. "It's late, and the cold's getting to you." It had gotten to him as well, but he had dealt with winters this cold in the past, so it was pretty easy to ignore it.
"I won't... I won't give up on her." Cinque shuddered even as she gripped the scarf tightly.
"Cinque! Zafira!" Nove called out, shivering slightly. "No luck?"
Cinque shook her head. "No..."
"Dammit!" Deed swore and felt like punching something.
"This is not the way to spend tonight!" Nove growled.
Zafira suddenly turned his head and took off, Cinque nearly fell off of his back in his hurry. Looking at each other, Nove and Deed followed after him closely.
"Mister! Mister!" They both heard a soft voice calling out.
"DUE!"
The little girl stiffened and turned around, her lips were slightly blue from the cold and her cheeks were bright red. "What?"
Cinque jumped off Zafira and basically tackled Due as she hugged her tightly. "Don't... Don't you ever do that again!" Due trembled as Cinque hugged her tightly, crying softly.
"Oi!" Nove looked at them as Deed contacted the rest of their sisters. "Of all the nights you chose to run away on, you had to choose this night!"
"Huh?" Due looked at her in confusion. "Why tonight?"
Cinque pulled away from Due and held up Due's scarf. "Come on," she wrapped it around Due's neck, "we'll show you."