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2012-08-12, 13:05
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Link #36842 |
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. . .
 Author
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: The Fiery Pit of the Southwest
Age: 38
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Here's the next chapter of Santo's work. I'll be uploading a chapter every day or every other day until I've caught up to what he's written.
Never Let Your Sword do the Talking  Spoiler for The Stages of Grief ...and Cheesecake:
“Rein…”
It could not be. Reinforce Eins died nine years ago, sacrificing herself to forever vanquish the darkness from the Book of the Night Sky. There was no way that- ‘My will shall live on in the knights and your magic.’ -this could be happening. She had moved on, she had put this behind her, Reinforce could never have had a different Master, there was no way that the young man in front of her was unisoned with the long-dead Master Program. As Signum was frozen in shock, the figure descended to her level slowly, giving a slow beat of his wings. Once he was in front of her, he just looked at her, studying her features, her eyes, her state of dress. Then he did the only thing that could make the situation worse. He smiled. Signum recognized that smile immediately. Nine years had passed and she still remembered that day as if it had happened mere moments ago. Reinforce’s quiet smile as she said her goodbyes, assured everyone that it was the only way. Signum had simply stood there, too powerless to do anything wishing- ‘I will always be at your side.’ -with all her being that things could be different, that it should not be brought to pass. The young man shifted his grip on his blades, freeing one hand and stretching it out slowly towards Signum’s face. The hand hesitated, seeming afraid to touch the skin before it. It was as if he were afraid she would burn him, or he would burn her. The hand finally settling on her cheek with the lightest possible touch, gentle as though the slightest amount of force would be enough to break her. When she did not pull back, the smile on his face widened. The purest of joys were plainly evident on his features. Warm. The hand was warm. The young man’s scarred and calloused hand had settled upon her cheek with a touch lighter than a feather. Warmth flowing from his palm unto her cheek. The simple widening of his lips. The look of innocent joy. The sorrow hidden in his features even though joy shone from his eyes like a sun. Signum’s vision became hazy. She realized that tears were flowing from her eyes. Without a single doubt, this was Reinforce. But such a thing was impossible, Reinforce Eins was dead. The young man, Shirou, must be playing a trick on her. He must have found some way to imitate the effect. He had shown his ability to change outfits at will, what was to say that he did not have a way to trick her with such a thing? Signum’s hands slowly, almost imperceptivity, tightened into fists, the strength of her grip causing her knuckles to pop. ‘How dare he?’ Was the only thought going through the Blazing General’s head. The young man noticed her change in expression. The delight that had shone from his face dimming, causing Signum a stab of pain for knowing she had been the cause which drove joy from those features. Her guilt was fed into the rising fire that was her anger. ‘So don’t worry, I will depart smiling’ Those seven words acted as the catalyst. Seven simple, heartfelt words became the straw that tipped the balance. The drop of water that broke the dam. She slapped his hand off of her check, her entire body trembling in rage. “How…How dare you!” Shirou fell back with a beat of his wings, his face forming a mask. “How dare you!” Signum’s fury was such, that the normally articulate knight was reduced to a three word vocabulary. “HOW DARE YOU!” With the third repetition of her cry, Signum charged, bringing Laevatein to bear in a two handed strike that lacked a single ounce of her usual grace. An attack that was easily blocked by the blades in Shirou’s hands, placing them in a deadlock. Signum pushed forward with all her strength, fury lending her energy she would otherwise not have, and sent the young man cartwheeling across the sky. With a wordless scream her sword changed into a long razor sharp whip and attacked again, its serpentine movements seeking the head of her foe. With a beat of his wings he easily evaded the strike. However, the trap soon became evident to him, Signum’s attack had been a feint, she sought to entrap him in a cage of steel. Shirou beat his wings once, several feathers removing themselves from his wings and exploding in black colored bursts. The shockwave propelled him forward while pushing back the serpentine blade just long enough for him to slip through before it could entrap him. With another burst of energy he accelerated across the skies, the Blazing general hot on his heels. She once more brandished her weapon, its serpentine edge covered in a layer of flame. “Fliegenden Drachen Blitz!” Screamed Signum as she launched her attack, causing her enemy to once more detonate an array of feathery chaff to get away. However, Signum had foreseen this, and with a twist of her wrist brought Laevatein’s extended blade around so that it would bite into his shoulder. Her attack made all the worse by her foe’s momentum which carried him into the blade, causing it to draw blood and sear his flesh. If he was pained by the damage the hot steel caused him, he did not show it. He merely batted aside the blade as it sought to encircle him and attempted to accelerate past her reach. Something Signum would not allow. Their game of cat and mouse continued for several more minutes, Signum managing to singe his barrier jacket or cut his skin a few more times. Yet the figure seemed reluctant to strike back, seeking only to retreat. Retreat was not allowed before the Blazing General, not now. She would make him pay for defiling the memory of Reinforce. Timing her movement with great skill, Signum forced him to evade her weapon’s serpentine tip in such a way so as to leave him open. She then snapped Laevatein back into its standard bladed form and burned a cartridge of stored magic. The weapon's blade was engulfed in a blaze that could melt through steel. “Lilac, Blitz!” Screamed the Blazing General as she flashed forward and brought her sword down unto her opponent, who barely managed to bring his purple swords to bear against her strike. The heat of the flames scorched his clothing and further damaged it. The power behind the strike numbed Signum’s arms up to her elbow, and sent her opponent plummeting to the ground. Her foe only barely managed to regain his balance before impacting the wall of a building. Even separated by a great distance, their eyes met, and her foe did something which caused a shiver of fear to travel down her spine. He frowned. With another black burst, as she had begun to call the maneuver, Shirou accelerated across the skies. Signum wasted no time in pulling into hot pursuit once again. What was different this time, was that he turned in mid-flight so that he could face her, throwing his arms to the sides his lips formed two words. The words causing a wall of blades to appear behind him. For the first time sense she renewed her attack, Signum heard her opponent speak. “Trigger off, all rounds fire!” The blades shot towards her in a wall of steel. Evading it all together would allow Shirou to open up too great a distance between them. Rather than allow this, the Knight of the Blade chose to barrel through the onslaught, dodging the swords she could and using Laevatein to beat aside the ones which would cause her serious harm. She could see her opponent wince every time one of the weapons inflicted a wound upon her armor or flesh. The worry he showed for her only managed to enrage her further. Signum sought to close the gap between them and her foe simply raised his hand again in reply. “Bultiger Dolch” Nine red knives that resembled Japanese kunai appeared around his hand before rushing forth at Signum. She was forced to pause and knock them aside lest she be impaled by them. However each time she beat them aside, they would just come back in an attempt to imbed themselves in her flesh. Signum increased the force of her strikes, causing the blood red weapons to shatter one at a time as they met Laevatein’s edge. Shirou did not stand idle while this happened. “Trace on.” Nine blades appeared behind him. “Trigger off.” Every last one of the conjured swords aimed itself at Signum. When she saw this, she re-doubled her efforts at finishing the last three of the blood daggers her enemy had fired earlier. “Individual shots, imbue spell.” At last Singum destroyed the last of the daggers and began to close the distance with a wordless cry. With luck she would strike him before he finished the spell. Lady luck was not on her side. “Semi automatic fire, Bultiger Kugel.” The wall of steel floating behind Shirou took on a blood red tint, giving the illusion they were already covered in the precious life fluid. “Fire!” At his behest, the nine swords shot forth one after another. Signum was forced to abandon her charge lest she be skewered outright. She dodged the first three of the weapons, was forced to parry the fourth through the eighth, and the ninth rebounded from the plating of her armor. She was about to resume her attack when she caught a red glint in the corner of her vision and immediately performed a barrel roll without pausing to think. Four blood red swords passing through the space she had occupied a moment before. He’d imbued the weapons with the same tracking spell. But unlike the daggers, the sheer mass of the swords ensured she would not have an easy time breaking them. Had Signum been less emotionally distraught, she would have realized her enemy was holding back considerably. While she was distracted, he refused to take any of the openings that his distraction caused. Instead of swarming her with endless waves of seeking blades, he sent them one wave at a time so that she would not be overwhelmed. It was obvious that he did not want to harm her. But the red haze across her vision demanded retribution. Had she been thinking more clearly, she would have made the weapons clamber into one another as they sought her flesh. She would have noted how long it took for a projectile that missed to right itself and seek her anew. Alas, the vicious fury which had taken control of her blood made such a thing impossible. Signum dodged the swords as they got close to her, attempting to close in with her foe so that he would need to dismiss them or be struck by them along with her. But he was too nimble. She could not close the distance between them while needing to worry about the swords that sought to spill her blood. Signum performed several complicated maneuvers, manipulating the seeking projectiles so that they would converge upon her at the same time. Wordlessly she flicked her wrist, turning her weapon into a whip, its edge a luminous scarlet. The heat of the blade, so intense as to warp the light around it, made the air dance and sway like a captivating mirage. The nine blades accelerated towards her furiously, the scream of steel cutting air announcing their intent. “Sturmwinde!” screamed Signum as she spun her weapon around her body, encasing herself in a tornado of fire and steel. Her whip cut through the nine blades with the ease of a hot knife through butter. The roar of the incandescent flames drowning out the sound of breaking glass the weapons produced upon their demise. She snapped her weapon back into its sword form and once more sought to close the distance between them, causing the figure to continue his frantic retreat. “Bogenform!” Screamed her foe as he flew. In a single fluid motion the stranger brought his hands together, and with a click the two blades locked into one another. The sturdy gauntlets he wore melted from his hands as the gold flowed over the swords, the weapons reforming themselves to accommodate their new purpose. In moments the two swords were gone and a dark purple bow had replaced them, the golden material reinforcing the tops and the center. Signum barely took note of the silver strand stringing the weapon, as thin as a hair, yet humming with power streaming from one end of the bow to the other. For a single moment she wondered why he had suddenly switched to a bow-form. He had needed no aid to fire swords and spells from midair. An enormous projectile, easily as long as the young man was tall appeared in his hand. It looked for all the world like an enormous corkscrew. He wordlessly nocked the unwieldy projectile. It fit the bow perfectly. “Blessing of Thor, gather in my hand,” A Belkan magic circle sprouted form under his feet as he began his chant. “Empower my aim, empower my strike,” Signum instinctively knew she would not be able to dodge this attack. She raised the strongest barrier she could conjure as lightning gathered at the projectile that had appeared on the stranger’s bow, hoping against all hope it would be enough. The boy slowly pulled the string back, a feat made possible only through incredible strength. Even with the distance separating them, she could hear the creak of the unnatural bow as it was put under stress. It echoed over the sound of electricity coursing through the heavens. “Strike without fail, at lightning’s speed,” The arrow sung with power as electricity coursed trough the projectile. He aimed at her. “Fly! Mjölnir!” Lightning struck Signum as it tore her shield, barrier jacket, and clothing, to shreds. Not even an instant after that, a tremendous explosion flung her farther off the ground in the direction of her foe. Behind her, lines of lighting caused a chaotic electric storm to course through the streets of the abandoned metropolis. The arcs of electricity expanding beyond the horizon as the power was driven away from the point of impact. He’d missed. No, he had not missed. He’d purposefully aimed away from her so that she would merely be grazed by the attack. The sheer destructive energy behind it, even in a lightly glancing blow, had been more than enough to obliterate the best defense she could conjure. She used the power of the explosion still accelerating her frame to her benefit, using it as a propelling force to finally close the distance between the two of them. Screaming she brought Laevatein around in an arc, seeking to split her enemy in two at the waist. An attack that was easily blocked by the enormous bow held in his left hand. But that had been enough, Signum took advantage of her new proximity to wrap her arms around her foe, and concentrate all of her momentum downwards. The change in direction forced the two of them to plummet to the ground at an ever increasing speed. Her foe struggled with her, attempting to make her let go. But she locked her arms and legs around him as best she was able and still maintain her grip on Laevatein. He would fall by her hand, she’d make sure of this. When they were but a few scant meters off the ground, he wrapped his arms around her and flared his wings, countless black feathers stiffening and shooting to the ground where they exploded into black bursts. He impacted the ground a moment later, the shockwaves of the controlled explosions having slowed his decent enough so the collision would not be lethal. Shirou’s landing still caused a several meter deep crater. His body wrapped protectively around Signum’s. X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X Signum’s mind was groggy, her ears were ringing and she could not tell which way was up. She could only feel great warmth wrapped around her, a pair of strong arms holding her against a solid chest, soft feathers covering her exposed back. She slowly opened her eyes, two deep maroon pools stared back at her. She tried to gasp, but realized that upon impact she had ended up with her lips locked to her foes. They were warm and soft. Tasting of steel, blood, and salt. A taste she imagined was shared by her own. The shock of her position breaking through the red haze that had taken control of her mind. He’d protected her, even though she had done her very best to kill him. The two of them simply lay there for a few moments, until Signum attempted to sit up. Shirou immediately let go, laying both his arms and wings on the ground, allowing her to straddle him while supporting her weight on his chest. The two of them sat there for a few moments, their breath’s heaving as they attempted to calm their raging hearts, trying to come down from the adrenaline high. At that precise moment, Yagami Hayate, Master of the Tome of the Night Sky and Lieutenant Colonel of the Capital Defense Corps, stepped over the edge of the crater and took in the sight of her beleaguered knight. Her eyes noting Signum’s state of dress…or lack thereof…in particular. The shit-eating grin on her face showing she had drawn entirely incorrect(?) assumptions from the presented evidence. “Weeeell~, what do we have here Signum-chwaaan?” Dawdled the walking Lost Logia. Signum’s fiery blush was so bright it could be confused with a sunset. “H-H-Hayate! This is not what it looks like!” Said the Knight of the Blade as she immediately shot to her feet and attempted to hide her nearly exposed bosom. Hayate did not walk, did not prance, she swaggered, down into the crater. Her eyes glued to the pink haired knight. “And here I was oh so very worried that my beloved Signum-chwaaan was overworking herself again in training~” Said Hayate in a tone two steps removed from leering. Her sadistic side ensuring the pink haired knight would be teased for this relentlessly. “I wouldn't have expected you to go off on a lovely, steamy date with a gentleman without telling me~” Impossible as that should be, Hayate’s every word caused the pink haired knight’s blush to intensify. “N-No! You Misunderstand Hayate! That is not at all wha-!” At this precise moment, she felt the figure behind her stir and stand, which caused her face to pale, this was certain to not end well. Shirou stood to his full height, the six magnificent black wings on his back expanding to display their full glory, and met the eyes of the Mistress of the Tome of the Night Sky. Hayate Yagami froze. The two of them stared into each other’s eyes, the tension in the air palpable and brittle. Signum remained motionless, afraid that any movement would tip the balance and cause the situation to worsen. Hayate’s eyes filled with tears, she suppressed a sob as she reached out with a trembling hand, seeking to confirm that what stood in front of her was not some mirage. Afraid that what she saw was an illusion, yet terrified that it was real. The figure stepped back before the hand could reach him, causing the sob she’d tried so hard to suppress to wrench itself from her chest. “Rein…force?” Said Hayate, her trembling voice filled with emotion. She looked for any of the warmth she remembered on the apparition’s eyes. Warmth she failed to find. All she saw in those red orbs was a cold calculating caution. Immediate recognition tempered with weariness, hoping for peace but expecting war. Her body began to tremble all over, her knees shaking too hard to hold up her weight. Signum caught her with a cry as she began to collapse to the floor, unable to tear her eyes away from the figure. “Reinforce?” Came her call, her voice so soft it resembled a kitten seeking recognition from its mother. The figure’s only response was to study the two kneeling women, before it shot to the skies with a beat of its wings, quickly becoming a speck in the distance and leaving only a few black feathers. Each of which slowly floated to the ground before crumbling to black ash. Hayate Yagami buried her face in her knight’s chest and wept. X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X Sometime later, Shirou was haphazardly flying into a back alley of a great metropolis. His wings were pale imitations of what they had been mere hours before. He quickly descended at a pace that would at best be called ‘hazardous’. A speed that a less generous person might call ‘suicidal’. When he was a story above ground, there was a kaleidoscopic flash of light and Shirou Zelretch Schweinorg fell the rest of the distance to the floor, rolling to disperse his momentum upon impact. The moment his tumble stopped, he shot to his feet, ran to the nearest trashcan, and proceeded to empty his stomach. “OS!” He called in a trembling voice in between pants. “What the hell was that?” The sapient sword remained quiet for a few moments before speaking, its voice unusually solemn. “The template and you were too similar Shirou,” Said the prismatic weapon, forgoing his preferred light hearted title. “You synchronized perfectly. But that trace was not one mind it was two. And both personalities working together overrode your control of the template.” Shirou’s answer came without hesitation. “Lock away that Prism Trace OS, it’s too dangerous.” “Yes sir.” Said the jeweled sword gravely. Shirou remained near the trashcan for a few moments more before righting himself. “OS, how many jewels did that template use?” The weapon remained quiet for a few moments before speaking. “A total of four, half of one went into the search of the template, the rest of the original two you told me to expend went into the template itself. “Its last attack was something else though; it couldn’t complete it with your Odic reserves, so it used two of the jewels to compensate.” Shirou ran his hands through his head. At least he could remember the events that took place during the Trace, unlike that time he used the- Immediately cutting off that line of thought, Shirou set off at a brisk pace. He’d need to replenish his Od as quickly as possible. “They’ll be looking for me. OS how much time did the Traces add to the Slide counter?” “Well, the first two you used, Blade Master and Assassin, they only added a total of four hours. But that last one, boss, that last one was something else, it would normally add a total of thirty six hours to the time. “But I gotta tell ya, this ‘verse is loaded. The last ‘verse we were at had an unusually abundant mana concentration in the air, but it looks like a desert compared to here. I can’t easily quantify the amount of freely floating energy. “With this much free-floating mana we should be able to move on in twenty four hours.” Shirou frowned, he wanted to move on as soon as possible, but it would be a shame to waste so much free energy. “How long would it take to fill up five jewels?” “With local concentration? I’d say about twenty hours give or take.” The information caused Shirou to frown. Once the process was begun, it could not be halted. However, this particular city ensured he could fill up a jewel in about a third the regular time. It was truly an enticing proposition. Nodding, he made his decision. “Make it so OS. Fill up five jewels. No matter how you cut it, I should be able to hide for two days in a city this big.” “Aye aye boss.” His decision made, Shirou began to look for a place where he could exchange currency. He felt like he could eat a whole horse. X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X Vita Yagami was not having the best of days. First she needed to skip lunch because Nanoha was running the recruits ragged. When she finally got home, she was greeted by a lightly wounded, scantily clad Signum and a weeping Hayate. When she got the story of what happened from Signum, she completely lost her appetite. Suffice it to say she did not get dinner or much sleep that night. The next morning, Hayate had not gotten over what had happened and she had to deal with a worried Nantoka and Fate as a result. When they demanded to know what was going on, it took the whole of the Wolkenritter to convince them that this was their problem. Though they had asked the two Aces to help Shamal take care of Hayate. By the time she remembered she’d had no breakfast, she was halfway to the training area in which Signum had fought this ‘Shirou’. They’d proceeded to track his magical signature, which strangely enough matched that of the Book of the Night Sky almost perfectly, to an alley. There it literally vanished completely a full story above ground. Shortly after they decided to split up and search, she’d had the greatfortune of finding someone’s lunch in a trashcan. And now she stood in front of a hotdog stand, looking at the delicious promise it offered as if they somehow held the key to the pearly gates themselves. And with all the stress of the previous night and morning she had forgotten her wallet. ‘I swear.’ Thought the spitfire. ‘When I get my hands on this ‘Shirou’ I am going to make him pay!’ The fact that this figure was only guilty of part of her suffering never once crossed her mind. As she stared at the pieces of meaty heaven wrapped in a delicious bun, a tall man in a black trenchcoat stepped up to the hotdog stand and asked for three…three! Three hotdogs all for himself! The fact that she was hungry enough to do the same also failed to cross her mind. The figure stepped back and bit into one of the hotdogs, judging by his reaction and overall wiggling he had just bitten into a piece of solid ambrosia. “Ohh Mein Gott!” Said the man. “It is as if I am biting into knowledge itself, the meat and the bun melts perfectly in the mouth as one savors it!” With that he took another bite, descending again into wiggling perfection. “It’s like solid ambrosia! Nirvana in a neatly wrapped package!” His foodgasm continued for several more moments, Vita’s glare, which had reached the point where it could melt through steel, rebounding off of his skin without having harmed him. “Ohhhh! Absolutely delicious!” Oh yes, die, die a slooooow, painful, death. “Hmmm! Mein Gott! It is so heavenly you don’t even notice when one is gone! My good sir I might have to buy more from you!” Death was too good for him, waaaay too good. She would hang him up by his entrails, yes, by his entrails. And then tenderize him with Graf Eisen. She would show him the reason why she was called the Knight of the Iron Hammer! “Ohh man, those three hotdogs were heavenly! Let me buy another three good sir!” Said this man with infinite cheer. Another three! He was going to eat six! Six! Being tenderized by Graf Eisen was too good for him! She’d hog tie him, cover him in honey, and drop him on an ant pile! “Oh deaaar~” Dawdled the man. “It seems I have bought too much and won’t be able to finish~” Vita’s ears perked up. “But, to throw these delicious hotdogs away, it would be such a waste! If only someone was around who could help me resolve this manner!” He said while staring right at the drooling Vita. Ohh no he wasn’t! He most certainl- “I do hope a hungry person steps up and relieves me of this burden.” He said as he waved the two remaining hotdogs in a lazy pattern, Vita’s eyes keeping track of the tasty treats like a starved wolf staring at a steak. However, she remained quiet. She still had her pride dammit! She would not fall into the temptation of accepting such a thing from a stranger! No matter how hungry she was! “Well~” Said the man with infinite misery in his voice. “It would seem that this piece of culinary perfection will need to be thrown out.” With that he walked over to Vita and pushed them at her. “I can’t be bothered to find a trashcan for those. “He said while standing next to the aforementioned trashcan. “Could I bother you to help me out with that?” He said with a big smile on his face. Vita remained quiet, a blush adorning her cheeks. She turned to the side, not meeting the stranger’s golden eyes. The young man simply smiled. “Well, I’ll leave that to you.” With that he began to walk away, his red mop easy to follow due to his above average height. As Vita was surreptitiously taking a bite of one of the hotdogs, fighting her instinct to carve into it with the table manners of a starved wolf, she realized something and did a double take (barely avoiding a spit-take). She looked back to her unnamed benefactor with a calculating eye. Signum had said that this ‘Shirou’ had red hair, golden eyes, was tall, and was an experienced combatant of different forms of fighting. Not only that, but apparently he could unison with the long dead Master Program. Red hair, check. Tall, check. Golden eyes, check. He matched the description. Yet somehow, she could not reconcile the image of this guy helping someone in need, with her mental image of whoever had made Hayate cry. Taking her first bite of the second hotdog, Vita decided that this manner required further investigation. Besides, if what Signum had said was true, she would not be able to take him on one on one anyways. X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X Shirou was feeling pretty good about himself. He’d had to go hungry in the past, never an experience he relished. It did not help that she looked like a lonely, dejected, hungry little girl. No Shirou Zelretch Schweinorg did not grow up wanting to have a little sister, no sir none at all. He also did not grow up wanting his old man to pay a little more attention to him, nor did he want a family. …Shut up. Anyways, suffice it to say that Shirou Zelretch Schwinorg was feeling pretty good about himself. “Hey boss.” Said OS, interrupting Shirou’s self-appreciating thoughts. “I was scanning through that template’s memories an-” “Heeeey! Wait up!” Called a steady soprano. Shirou turned, and saw the red headed girl whose meal he’d ‘not’ paid for. Once she closed with him Shirou gave her a confused look. “Do you have business with me little lady?” “Of course I do! I didn’t get to thank you.” Said the girl with an enormous smile on her face. Shirou tilted his head. “Well…gratitude accepted, now if you’ll excuse me.” He said as he turned around. The redheaded spitfire would have none of that. “What? Ain’t even going to tell me your name? Some gentleman you are.” She said with a smirk on her face. Shirou blinked, while he could adapt quickly by necessity, he was not really the most social guy out in the multiverse. “Ehhmm…Right, Name’s Zelretch Schwinorg, nice to meet you little lady.” Said Shirou, finishing with a bow. Considering the circumstances of the day before, he thought it wise to keep his first name to himself. “Zeltrech Schiuinorch?” Shirou’s eyebrow twitched. “Zelretch Schwinorg.” “Zednech Shiuinyorg!” “Zelretch. Schwinorg.” “Oh, ok ok, I got it, I got it this time! Zelfep Chuuiniorg!” Said the girl while striking a pose. The twitch on Shirou’s eyebrow brought friends, they settled on his other eyebrow. “Zel-re-tch! Sch-win-org!” “Zerurecchi Shubainoogu!” “Dammit! Just call me Zel.” Said Shirou as he planted his face on his palms. “Ahh, shoulda just said so in the first place old man!” Said the redhead, her grin nearly splitting her face. Shirou sighed, he wished people didn’t have such a hard time with his name. “Didn’t catch your name.” “That’s cause I haven’t given it to you silly.” Shirou grumbled something unintelligible while glaring at her with one eye. And boy was it a glare. He had practiced it in the mirror to make sure it had maximum impact. A glare that glanced off her armor of snark without leaving a scratch. An opponent to be feared this little one was. “Name’s Vita. Now, would an upstanding gentleman such as yourself like to keep a damsel company for a while?” “I’ll be sure to as soon as I see a damsel.” Vita’s eyebrow twitched. “Say again?” She said with an undercurrent of fury in her voice. Shirou was not the most observant person when it came to the opposite sex. However, something in her tone, or perhaps her face, or maybe the corona of dark energy that would consume him if he did not retract his words, warned him that he was in grave danger. He chose to keep his thoughts to himself, let it not be said that Shirou Zelretch Schwinorg had not learned from his travels in the multiverse. “I said that if I see a lady I will be sure to keep her company, or perhaps I am wrong and what stands in front of me has the heart of a maiden hidden under armored plates of boyish charm?” Said his mouth without consulting him. Not a cool move mouth, not a cool move at all. He should stop synchronizing with the older templates, they tended to make him much snarkier than he usually was. “Ooohhh boss…that’s a low blow.” Whispered OS to his partner. This made Shirou pause. If OS thought it had been too far, then clearly he should drop to the floor and beg for forgiveness. The small spitfire shook with rage, before grabbing his arm and pulling him towards the nearest shopping district. The strength hidden in that tiny body almost dislocating his shoulder as she dragged him along. “Just for that you are going to buy me some Takiyaki!” X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X Shirou sat, unable to go on, unwilling to back down. He would not let it end like this. He would not let her win, not after all he had gone through. Their battle had been long and hard. The lead being exchanged from one to the other at least once per skirmish. Their fight had drawn many witnesses, all of them amazed at the will of the combatants. A few of the spectators were reduced to tears by the emotion displayed in the combat. Shirou stared at Vita’s eyes, and resolutely stretched out his hand and grabbed hold of his weapon, eliciting a gasp from the audience. He then brought it up to his mouth, and resolutely took the last bite of the slice of cake he had been served, the crowd erupting into a roar of approval. Vita smirked while holding her bloated stomach. Speech was a difficult task to complete because of all she had eaten, “Heh, I never would have thought…that a shrimp like you…would have lasted this long.” She said with a pained smirk. Shirou returned a smirk as fierce as hers. “And I never would have thought…that a little thing like you…could eat three times her weight in sweets.” The crowd exploded into cheers once more at their banter. One might wonder how they came to be in this situation. It is not every day that two people who look alike enough to be siblings walk into a cake shop and demand to be brought everything on the menu after all. It all began shortly after Vita dragged the potential suspect/luckless idiot and forced him to treat her. What had surprised her more was that he was willing. He then told her he was just passing through and would appreciate someone to show him the sights. Vita proceeded to do just that. And during her “investigation” she ended up having quite a lot of fun. The fact that he sometimes treated her as if she were a little girl or his little sister irritated her, but she was getting a ton of free food out of it so she could not complain. Alas, the good times had not lasted long. It had been a careless comment, something she thought he would agree with seeing as to they got along pretty well. She had commented over the fact that cake was so good, it could not possibly be a lie. He had paused, and told her that pie was better. A declaration of war if she ever heard one. They proceeded to argue for a long time, throwing around every possible variation of the phrase ‘No you’re wrong!’ It came to the point where they decided words would no longer be enough, action had to be taken. And so they had done the only logical thing that could resolve this issue: they walked into a cake shop and began to systematically order everything in the menu. After the first twelve servings a few of the patrons began to pay attention. After the first twenty, bets began to be shouted. Now they could no longer count how much they had eaten, and the cake shop was full to bursting with people as they witnessed the bloody combat taking place. Shirou straightened himself. It would not do well to look weak on the moment she finally admitted defeat. “You…should give up…already!” Panted Shirou, “It’s obvious…you cannot…win!” Vita attempted to straighten herself out as well, but was unable to. Their simple difference in size meant she had less space to pack in than her adversary. “You…are not…the boss of me!” Shirou rested his weight on the table, he was starting to see double. “You’re wrong…Vita…I hold great authority over you!” With great effort, Vita managed to right herself. “No…you…don’t! You are nothing! You are not my mother!” Shirou began to laugh the laugh of the deranged. “Of course not Vita…I am your father!” Vita’s eyes widened while the crowd drew a collective gasp! “No! That’s not true! That’s impossible!” “And my devise is your sister!” Said Shirou with a manic look in his face. “HEY!” Screamed the aforementioned device, he was not paid any mind. “No! You are lying! That CAN’T be!” “It’s TRUE Vita! Look into your heart! You know it to be true! Embrace the Dark Side! Join me in my reverence of the pie!” “NOOOOOOOOOOO! NEVER!” Screamed the redheaded spitfire defiantly, causing the crowd to break out into cheering. Shirou smirked, “Looks like I’ll have to show you the mistake of going against me! Waitress! Bring us the next item on the menu!” There was a deafening cheer as the waitress hurried to comply with his order. As the two of them sat there, staring at each other’s eyes, proclaiming they would not be the first to fall, the waitress brought them the latest challenge. Their mouths fell open in awe. In her tray was something beautiful. Its very presence was peace. The sight of it was like a thousand angels gently massaging their eyes as they sung heavenly halleluiahs in the most gentle of lullabies. In the tray…was cheesecake. Shirou and Vita could feel tears falling from their eyes and making streaks down their cheeks. “It-It’s beautiful.” They whispered reverently in a strange synchrony. They were served one slice each. Both of them stared at the beautiful construct in front of them, awe written plainly upon their faces. The crowd awaited with baited breath, not knowing what would happen next. Impatient for them to go on, terrified of what could happen. Shirou and Vita brought their hands together, and wept. They wept for they had finally seen the truth. It was not a question of cake or pie, pie or cake. The sins of the past must be forgiven and forgotten, for the future is what was truly of import. As one they picked up their forks, savoring each and every bite as if it were a gift from heaven. Each knowing that maybe, just maybe, no pie or cake would again taste as good as what they had in front of them now. Soon enough it was over, the two of them remaining quiet. The suspense in the air was enough to break a lesser man. Then as one, they set their forks down and bowed their heads. The crowd erupting into cheers, shedding manly and unmanly tears in equal amounts. It was over. It was finally over. Their war ended in the only possible way it could have ended, with a smile on the face of both combatants. They sat there, neither the winner nor the loser. Having made true peace, they were content to sit there and smile. Their peace did not last very long. Forcing her way through the crowd was Signum Yagami, Zafira the guardian beast following in close step. From her angle she could see Vita with a tall man wearing a trenchcoat, she immediately stepped towards Vita, intending to give the spitfire a piece of her mind. However, when she spotted the unruly mop of red hair that accompanied the Knight of the Iron Hammer she froze. “Signum?” The whisper was not soft enough to escape the notice of Shirou Zelretch Schweinorg. He turned and met the blue eyes of Signum, the one with whom he had enjoyed battle the day before. They stared at one another for a long moment, the crowd wondering what would happen next within their strange soap opera. They most assuredly did not expect the young man to reach into his coat and pull out a solid bar of gold out of one of the surprisingly deep pockets of his coat. “Thank you very much for the meal, it was wonderful.” He said to the waitress, who stood frozen. “Do keep the change.” With that, he gave Vita a betrayed look which caused the redheaded spitfire to shrink back a little until she remembered her duty. He then jumped out the window, shattering it as he made his escape.
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The Art of Shipping is as profound as it is dangerous; not for the faint of heart nor the weak of will, it makes gods and devils out of us all. |
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2012-08-12, 16:16
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Link #36844 |
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Otaku Apprentice
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: The Unseen Horizon
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lol poor Signum (got kissed XD) and Hayate
As for Vita, they ate well XD
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OS-tan Collections (temporary): https://discord.gg/Hv2rBs3
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2012-08-12, 17:01
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Link #36846 | ||
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. . .
Author
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: The Fiery Pit of the Southwest
Age: 38
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Quote:
Quote:
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The Art of Shipping is as profound as it is dangerous; not for the faint of heart nor the weak of will, it makes gods and devils out of us all. |
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2012-08-12, 17:08
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Link #36847 |
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Tenshi's Defense Squadron
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Fighting against those who oppress the system
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I also like the Vivio and the PapaShirou fics from Beast's Lair. Oh, and to animesuki people, feel free to join Beast's Lair. We have Lyrical Days and Night Sky for us to discuss as well as Iron's thread as well.
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 hai, hai. Onii-chan has his work cut out for him.  |
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2012-08-13, 10:07
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Link #36849 |
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Member
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Utah
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Hah! I'm back! Finally!
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/8316225/...Lyrical_Record http://www.fanfiction.net/s/8053321/..._the_Night_Sky |
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2012-08-13, 19:49
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Link #36850 |
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Left for TFF
Author
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Frozen Hell of the North
Age: 41
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SSX
ViVid 1-15 ViVid 16 ViVid 17 ViVid 18 Spoiler for Blood That Flows - ViVid 19:
It was a day later when Einhart and Nove found themselves at the Yagami home. "Hello," Signum nodded as she opened the door to let them inside. "It's just Hayate and myself with Kyouka today, and she was just put down for a nap, so please, keep your voices down." Even though Kyouka wasn't too noisy or fussy, she could still cry loud enough to wake anyone in the house up.
After she had been jolted awake at three in the morning for what had to be the eighth time in two weeks, Signum suddenly envied Vita for moving in with her fiance. Signum wondered why babies couldn't understand that other people wanted to sleep at three in the morning and not be up so early. Granted, Signum could go a week without sleep if she had to, but it was still irritating to wake up when the baby started crying, even if Reinforce or Hayate would take care of Kyouka a few minutes later, it didn't make it any easier to get back to sleep. As they walked into the house, Einhart stared as she saw Hayate picking some toys up that were scattered on the floor. "Oh," Hayate smiled as she stood up, "just a moment, I need to put these away." "Here," Nove walked over to take some of the toys off of Hayate's hands, "lemme help you." Hayate smiled in thanks and led Nove to Kyouka's room. Signum ignored the two of them and looked at Einhart more closely. "You've had some training, I see." "And you are very experienced." Einhart could see it in the way the woman walked and moved. "You're a sword user." Signum had to fight the urge to smirk as she heard Einhart's question. "Interesting, what makes you think that?" "I could explain everything that makes me think of it, but, I should just say that, when I was looking up information about the Saint Kaiser or the Underworld King, I saw an image of you with a sword battling a young man with red hair who held a spear." Einhart blinked as Signum smirked at her. "Was I wrong?" "Just a little bit, but that man was someone I spar against, his name is Erio Mondial. If you hang around the Nakajimas long enough, you'll meet him and the rest of the people who are close to Vivio." Einhart frowned lightly at the name. "I see..." The details of the person who was raising Vivio were pretty sparse, though, from what she had gathered, the woman who adopted her was rather famous in the Bureau. "Unfortunately, I could not find too much in the public records about either Ixpellia or the reborn Saint Kaiser." Signum nodded, knowing that most of the information about Vivio and her family was actually in the Bureau's database, not the public one. And while Einhart could find out that Vivio's last name was Takamachi, it wouldn't be as helpful as what she would get if she was a full-time Bureau member, which had a full run-down on Nanoha and her family, parents, aunt, siblings and children. Signum was beginning to wonder when Nanoha would add spouse to that list, but the last time she had even hinted at it, well... Signum knew that people reacted differently to being embarrassed, but Nanoha's reaction was a bit over the top. 'A sparring session is not how you cover up sudden embarrassment, Takamachi.' Signum mentally grumbled to herself. And Nanoha wondered why Signum had started just calling her a thing lately. "Sorry that took so long," Hayate smiled as she and Nove walked back into the room. In Hayate's hands was a small box. "This little fellow's all ready to go, you just need to name him and activate him." Einhart took the box from Hayate and put it on the floor before opening it. "Cute," she couldn't help herself from muttering that word as she looked at the small device insde. It looked like a tiny plush snow leopard with a red collar around its neck. "Well, what are you going to name him?" Nove asked as Einhart put her hand on top of the device's head, causing it to squirm and look up as it opened its eyes. "Asteion..." Einhart smiled as the device tilted his head at her. "But I shall call him... Tio otherwise." She didn't know why, but it seemed appropriate. "Mraw!" The device let out a cute sound and Einhart's eyes widened in shock as the device suddenly pounced. The next thing she knew, she was on her back and the device was letting out an honest to goodness purr while nuzzling her cheek. Einhart could feel her cheeks heating up while Tio let out happy mewls and purrs. Hayate had to put her hand over her mouth to keep from laughing as she saw the young girl so utterly defeated by her device. Her eyes lit up as she called up a view screen and snapped a few pictures of Einhart and Asteion bonding. "Seems that he likes you." Einhart nodded shakily and her whole face flushed as Tio actually licked her cheek. Her blushing wasn't helped when Hayate, Nove and Signum all started chuckling at her predicament. "Not... Funny." Einhart pouted as the trio chuckled more. Between her blushing, pouting and Asteion's antics, the scene was incredibly cute. (---) "I swear boss, I did nothing this time." "Thoth..." Yuuno rubbed his head. "Quiet." It wasn't that he had a headache, he was just exhausted that morning. "But, boss, if you'd just give me some access to the net again..." "The last time I did that, there were a bunch of interesting pictures of Nanoha and Fate all over the net." Yuuno narrowed his eyes at the device. "Now, how do you suppose an image of Nanoha getting a massage from Subaru while Nanoha's top was undone got out there?" "I have no idea, boss, but I swear, I'll find the pervert who took those images and thank him from the bottom of my CPU. By the way, what should I do with the images of you and Fate from last night?" "I'd tell you to delete them, but I know you, so just store them in a secure spot, okay?" "With the rest of my porn, got it." Yuuno just slapped his forehead and groaned. Really, what did he do to deserve a device like Thoth anyway? When he turned the corner into the kitchen and saw Nanoha in an apron cooking breakfast while Miyuki was setting the table, he knew what he did to deserve Thoth. After all, having to deal with a perverted device was only fitting, since he couldn't help but love Nanoha, Fate and Miyuki. "Yuuno, could you go make sure that Erio and Caro are up?" Nanoha jerked a thumb to the window, "Arashi and Vivio are outside playing." She giggled when Yuuno raised an eyebrow. "They're not using magic this morning, so they're just playing." Even if the sparring could get violent, it wasn't anything horrific. "Master, Vita is calling about training." "Thanks, Raising Heart." Nanoha smiled as she pulled up a view screen. "Vita-chan, hi." "Hey," the redhead smiled at her. "Sorry about calling so early, but I need to let you know about some of the changes to the training schedule." Yuuno chose that moment to slip out. It wasn't that he didn't like hearing Vita complain about how the new kids weren't as good as Nanoha or he had been when they were nine, but he didn't want her to get any ideas about dragging him along for the training. After all, the last few times he took part, a few of the female trainees accidentally had their barrier jackets burned off from some of his spells. The fact that Thoth wouldn't shut up about it only made the women angrier about their predicament. Still, what Yuuno found the most odd was the fact that those same female recruits would later thank him for what he did. It wasn't until Vita later explained that she had used that as a lesson on how to keep calm when on the battlefield that he understood. After all, if having your underwear exposed and commented on while in a friendly environment could prepare a person for something similar happening in the field, all the better. Sighing, Yuuno stopped in front of Erio's room and opened the door. "Hey, Erio, are you..." He trailed off at the sight in front of him. "I... Guess you are..." "PAPA!" Caro let out a shriek as she looked at him from over her shoulder. Her face was completely red as she realized that Yuuno was getting an eye-full of her naked backside. "KNOCK FIRST!" Erio yelled as Caro rolled off of him and ducked under the blankets. Yuuno quickly closed the door and shook his head. "...That was the last thing I expected to see this morning." "Your little girl's growing up." Yuuno just groaned, he did not want to walk in on Caro and Erio doing that. "This isn't going to be a fun conversation." Part of him wanted to go back into the room and set Erio on fire, but another part realized that Caro would get upset at him if he tried. And he really didn't like that thought. (---) Erio and Caro both walked into the kitchen and gulped at the looks they were getting. "This is going to suck, huh?" Erio asked and winced at the choice of words. "I hope you two are taking care of yourselves." Nanoha said softly, her eyes narrowed and both Erio and Caro couldn't help but shudder in fear. "While laws concerning people underage are very lax in administrated worlds, due to magic users maturing faster, I wonder if you two have any idea what you're getting into." "Um..." Caro poked her fingers together. "We kind of do... We're being careful." She gulped when Nanoha raised an eyebrow. "B..Besides, papa does it too!" "I'm also an adult, Caro." Yuuno sighed softly. "I'm not going to get mad at you two for doing that. All things considered, it wouldn't be right for me to get mad about it." Caro let out a sigh of relief when she heard that. "However," he narrowed his eyes at the two of them, "if anything happens unexpectedly, you two are going to take responsibility, got it?" Both of them nodded at that. "And, really," Miyuki grinned at them, "if you're going to go that far, make sure to lock the door so no one just barges in, okay?" She laughed when their faces turned red. "So, you're not mad then?" Caro asked, sighing when Nanoha shook her head. "No, not mad, just worried." Nanoha stood up and walked around the table to kneel down and look Caro in the face. "Just be careful, okay?" Caro nodded, causing Nanoha to smile. "And, Erio..." She grinned while looking at him. "You get to tell Fate." "Tell me what?" Fate asked as she walked in, a robe around her body and her hair disheveled. "...Did I miss something?" (---) Vivio panted as she put her hands on her knees and looked at Arashi, who was currently on his back. "Um..." She looked at Sacred Heart as it flew out to them. "Is he okay?" "WHAT?!" A yell broke out and Vivio spun, staring at the house in shock. It wasn't the yelling, sometimes it could get loud, but the fact that it was Fate-mama who was yelling was shocking. "...What happened?" Vivio muttered softly. "Anything that can make big sis Fate yell like that can't be good." Arashi shivered as he sat up. "Um... Wanna stay outside for awhile longer?" Vivio nodded and decided that finding out what happened could wait. Preferably after Fate-mama had a chance to calm down. "Race you around the house!" She took off running in the opposite direction of the door as Arashi yelled at her and followed as fast as he could. |
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2012-08-13, 20:14
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Link #36851 | |
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Otaku Apprentice
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: The Unseen Horizon
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Yuuno bleeds on the nose XD when there was a photograph of all the girls in RF6 (naked), including Amitie and Kyrie....
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OS-tan Collections (temporary): https://discord.gg/Hv2rBs3
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2012-08-13, 20:43
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Link #36853 | |
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GregOS Offline
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Philippines
Age: 36
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Spoiler for Wall of MST3k Review:
Amy: Tio! *blushed* Hey, Einhart, can I cuddle him? Einhart: Um...  *still blushing**Moka Bonks Amy's head.* Moka: Don't him her. Amy just love cute things, even she acts like a tomboy. Amy: Well.. Can't deny that.  Sarah: Einhart is in for a shock if she ever finds the true information about the Takamachi family. Me: What kind of internet BTF-verse got anyways!? Val: Looks to me, almost a multi-verse one. Odin: Anyone wonders how the cast will react if they found themselves in some wikia, almost with all their information about them? Caro: Eekkk!!!! *ducks in her room* Erio: Um.... *Both of them are currently dressed.* Odin: I wonder if the Rider of BTF influenced them enough to do that? Reia: Or they actually fell in love? Elane: Or going for a Threesome with Lutecia after this... *Everyone looks at Elane.* Elane: What? My twin is still loli-fied and being treated as a plushie by Cinque. *Hears Mariemeia's screams of "Let go!", "Return me back to normal!" and the likes while Cinque still hugging her loli-fied form.* Me: Anyways... Looks like this is the first time Fate kinda lost it. Val: Really... Reproductive health lesson must be given, to prevent, lets just say, unwanted complications. Me: I wish my fellow Catholics realized this in the Philippines... that the RH bill is a means to inform the young about sex life and family planning... Not legalizing abortion... Odin: They lack the "proper" Common sense. How in the world you can kill something if they haven't exist yet. And going rabbits and having multiple births is a good way to kill the mother, the most painful way possible. Iris: At least Vivio and Arashi got the Idea not getting themselves involve there. Sarah: Right. @Lhklan: I believe Aki's is a devout follower of the VOID ship, ExDeath and Cloud of Darkness. He wish for everything to return to the void and/or to nothing.... Well... It could be worse, He's Worshiping Trollzama, Hazama Yuuki/Terumi of Blazblue...
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Darwin's nominee are best for laughs.
MGLN "Befriending" shows love thru superior firepower (Zenryokou Zenkai!) Gundams are your worst nightmare in the battlefield. SRW beats all foes. JAM Project pwns all!!! And I can't still make fanfic without restarting from the start when new ideas comes in... Last edited by mega1987; 2012-08-13 at 21:31. |
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2012-08-13, 22:34
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Link #36854 | |
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Heads or Tails?
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Under a pebble
Age: 32
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Manipulation of 2nd magic and stuff... I don't even know how does he do it anyways, it's beyond me, not unless someone show me the previous chapters of what is going on. Yours sincerely A very, very confused reader... |
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2012-08-14, 07:30
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Link #36856 | |
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Big Damn Lurker
Join Date: Feb 2011
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 On Erio and Caro: first I was frowning a bit, thinking "on par with Blood that Flows' course", then I remembered they are Dark Star and Vorfeed's reincarnations/seals. Then I laughed  Also, so many mages and no mention of soundproofing barriers anywhere? |
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2012-08-14, 14:15
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Link #36857 | |
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Member
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: State of Deseret, Southern providence
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Last edited by GaelicDragon; 2012-08-14 at 15:18. |
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2012-08-14, 21:27
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Link #36859 |
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I am no one
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Inside your head
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Just something to drop in, damn plot bunny
Warning: horrible grammar, crossover, OC, and possibly bad plot. Spoiler for Furry Days Chapter 1:
Lyrica Magica Euno Mustela Disclaimer: 7Arcs ________________________________________ EPISODE 01: UNWITTING HERO OF SCIENCE ________________________________________ Euno Scrya, 14 years, Occupation: Archaeologist and History Professor That was him, no more and no less. He doesn’t like if his reputation is exaggerated, it’s not like his current career is totally unheard of. Still, he was proud of his title now, if a little, and work hard just like always. His work in the past, he already left it. Well, not like work, just something he involved in. It wasn’t the best situation he could think, his place was in a thousand years old cave scratching and screening the wall for old scribbles, or in a Library reading dozen upon dozen of books, not in a battlefield fighting against criminal or artifact of apocalypse… though the later sometimes happen during a dig gone wrong. Regardless, here it his, he was in an underground ruins again. Interestingly, it was not the kind of worlds he usually works in. It was Earth, officially called Non-administrated World #97. It’s also knew for notoriously strange phenomenon, being a planet devoid of natural mana, yet is able to gave birth to extremely talented mages, most of which he knew personally since there are so few, however still count. Minus the usual tales and stories as well as recent founding of potential mages, Earth doesn’t seem to have magic-based civilization at all. “It’s kinda cold outside” “Even though it’s summer?” Euno jokingly asked, to be precise, the ruin is located in Hokkaido, Japan. Even though it’s summer, the temperature can be as cold as 17 °C. His assistant chuckled at his attempt of delivering a punchline. As for how he ended up in this place, it was started several days ago. Sensor reading detected pulses of concentrated mana somewhere in Tokyo and Britain, and Euno, who is present, quickly checked it. However, there’s nothing but traces of magic casting. No damage or lasting effect, and the pulses are very brief as well, judging from the record. After continuous scanning, similar signature, while faint, was found in Hokkaido yesterday. Took 12 hour for Euno to assemble a small investigation team, while at the same time record everything using the sensor owned by TSAB Patrol Ship. “The signature is getting closer, be careful” he said as they explored the cave, rocks protruding here and there, but they’re not too afraid considering that the light provided by a simple spell will be enough to keep them safe. The rough surface of the cave wasn’t their biggest problem anyway. What they’re afraid is magic-related incident, which can range from small mishap to mass-area destruction. That’s the kind of risk when it comes to digging, they knew, but they can’t be too paranoid. Euno himself continuously scan the entire cave using active and passive sensor, the first one is purely mechanical. Such as for long distance mapping, they use active acoustic locator. The concept itself might be old, but advanced electronics of the magic device will provide pinpoint analysis. The unit emitted faint but audible ‘ping’ sound, though it wasn’t from the main emitter but pulse indicator. Again, the reason they don’t use Active detection spell outright is because they afraid of triggering any traps or mechanism that respond to magic stimulus. After a series of twist and turn, they find a branching path. “Hmm, the other branch led outside; let’s go for the left one” The five man team, composed of Euno, two assistant, and two escort from the bureau, follow the path which for some reason, getting larger as they go deeper. Finally, they reach what could be considered a primitive-looking magic altar. Shining, clear crystals protruding in each corner, illuminating the room like giant neon lamps. On the end of the room, there is a stone plate erected. It was totally blank and smooth, as is the floor, a stark contrast to the jagged wall of rock and soil that form the rest of chamber. It was really a beautiful scene, Euno admit. The other four seems to agree, as their gazes are roaming every inch of the room. There are a single magic circles in the center of the room, of which they’re not familiar with. Even Euno, considering he already memorized at least 891 systems, some of which are very obscure to begin with. “Let’s take some picture and be careful… Don’t touch the circle or the crystal” Euno began to inspect it closely, the letters used in the circle is totally unfamiliar, but the structure looks simple enough that any linguist with half-decent knowledge might be able to transcript it. The geometry of the circle is complex, and there’s plenty of letters; this is definitely a grand scale spell casting formula. Which usually means a bad thing. And when a sudden earthquake happened, Euno got hit by a small boulder and struck inside the circle. He disappeared into light, along with the circle. The timeframe which happen only in few second caught everyone off guard, and it’s not until the blind flash disappear they realize that one of their member is missing. “This is really bad” “No shit” ________________________________________ When Euno regained his composure, he was midair, surrounded by light and magic particles and steadily falling at constant but considerable speed. If he can guess, from outside he would look like a meteor… But this is not the time to think about that! He pressed himself not to panic and try all sort of countermeasure. Alas, he can’t create his trusty barrier and even protective field. Few second till impact, he screamed like a girl and slam into what could be considered a bubble made of mana particle. He can feel a slight shock, but there’s no pain or injury. “What the heck just happened…?” In front of him is a city ruins covered with slight vegetation. The buildings are made from mud-bricks, he realized. What’s left from abandoned civilization span roughly ten kilometers, give or take. He himself is standing on top of pyramid-like building, which he assumed is a shrine of some sort. The air is fresh, and yet, it reeks of danger. The animals have an erratic pattern of activity, even the insect and the birds. And his premonition was right. Two columns of armed men and women charged toward each other, the number of people could easily reach hundreds, or maybe thousands. The harsh terrain of the ruined city doesn’t seems to hinder them too much, it’s maybe 20 or 30 second till they actually met, and Euno can feel sense of chill running down his spine. He ended up transported to somewhere in side a battlefield, a physical battlefield at that. He already watched the footage of Earth style war, as well as many magically inept worlds. In anticipation of bloodbath, Euno avert his gaze a little. Still, he still caught a glimpse out of curiosity, cursing his ever active mind. Metal clashed with metal, leather, and living flesh. The land is painted red, limbs chopped and torn apart, scream of agony and rage filled the nasty air filled with cruelty and suffering. To harm each other, such are the nature of war, especially physical one. Domination, proving one’s ideal is the ultimate victory sought up by parties involved. That’s not the case. What he saw however, is a big puff of smoke… and people turned into a fur ball. Those living blobs then carried by people which seems to have the role of Red Cross. “What the…?” To his surprise, two maiden launched themselves from a platform, at such velocity that normally it would be lethal. He grimaced and thought if they use body strengthening technique or superhuman to begin with, and he’s not a stranger to both case, though the former is more common. Jousting spear and broad sword clashed in the sky… caught everyone watching in awe. Even though both of them steadily falling, that don’t stop them to try to attack each other, before finally landed hard on the ground, leaving a small crater in their wake. The more he watched it, the more he’s convinced that they are indeed mages. He began to walk away from the shrine-like building, closer to the location of battle. He began to cast [Iron Defense], a basic defensive spell which increase his body durability directly, like having a skin made of steel, and prepare to cast [Protection], a low level spherical semitransparent barrier. For unknown reason though, TSAB logo appear on the back of his hands. There’s nothing wrong with the Mid-childan formula appeared underneath his feet either. Strange, what happened with my magic system? Regardless of that… He preloaded stronger defensive spells so he can cast it in case of his previous spell is totally ineffective, and a semi transparent TSAB logo appears behind him. What the heck?? This is weird, ah, more than that. “Oh crap” he jumped off the platform and brace for impact. “EMBLEM CANNON! LEVEL 3” A pair of beam blast through the void sky and made a contact, resulting in a combined explosion engulfing grounds few decameters around. Such is the power of high level bombardment spell, Euno thought, like his best friend’s [Starlight Breaker] for example. Of course, the mill of the run troops aren’t unsafe like him, they all turned into fur balls like others who are injured normally. I see… if they’re injured, they’ll turn into that. Remind me again of my defense mechanism However, his survival from the onslaught caught attention of the two outstanding fighter/mage, both are female and seems to be slightly older than him. Their expression is screaming surprise, to be exact, but soon, that expression worn off and replaced by excitement. “A HERO?” “It’s not a mistake…” one of them grin “It’s a hero!” Euno is not the type that acts stupidly, but regardless, he pointed himself with a questioning look on his face. “HAI~!” “… EEEEH?” Soon, the crowd began to chant and whisper about “hero” and the like, slowly but surely, the murmur replaced by ear-deafening cheer. “Waaaait a minute, I don’t understand!” Euno freaked out in response “I’m not a hero! What’s that supposed to mean?” “We don’t exactly understand either, but you have strange ears and no tail, that’s the sign of a hero!” Euno stiffened in response, his heart began to calm and his logic work once again. He now realized that all of them have animalistic features typically spotted on a familiar. Euno feel an aneurism realizing that half of those people has ferret characteristic, such as the spear-wielding blond maiden. On the other hand, the red-headed, blade carrying girl and her comrades has the feature of a Minx. Not easy to distinguish them since they are mostly humanoid anyway. “[Ooooh~! How unexpected! A Hero appeared in the middle of battle!]” A holographic cubical projection appeared in the sky, showing someone that Euno recognized as a commentator or something along that line. … No matter how you look at it, this is not really a war… calm down a little. He sighed and finally managed to regain his composure. He draws a soft smile and bow his head a little before flip away “Well, I don’t think it’s proper for me to barge in like that, please excuse me” “Wait a minute” the two female fighters/mages caught him on both of his shoulder and deliver a threatening smile, he stiffened again in response, fearing his safety. Running away would be rude alright… “Pardon me for my insolence, milady; can I at least wait outside until this battle end? I sincerely don’t want to be a bother” He could keep his expression cool at least, and they seem to be satisfied with that. He watched from the top of a tower, where the commentators do their job. Indeed, they give commentaries regarding the battle, whether it’s the progress or action of individuals. Euno is not a man of war, but he could see that they use rudimentary strategy rather than randomly moving like before. It was possible that the initial rush is done on purpose, or maybe it’s a blunder due to chaotic situation than anything else. Finally, the battle is coming to an end; the announcer gave a signal and loudly screamed “Finally, this is the very moment you’re waiting for! Let’s count” Sound of celebration drum echoed throughout the area, the cheer from the spectator area doesn’t seem to be put of with that. The excitement, the happiness clearly drawn in ther facial expression, hammers the fact to Euno that this battle is not really about hostilities. The scoreboard shown some numbers, it’s either kill count or overall points gained during battle. Now that he realized, this is not a war, this is a friggin organized event! “[AND THE WINNER IS PATISSERIE ALLIANCE!]” The roar is even louder than before, especially from the Ferret-side, that even Euno feel moved. Clearly, they love doing this and seem like doing this all the time, if he had to guess, it’s for the country prestige and showing off military power. “Too bad for Principality of Andouilette, regardless, today’s war is really intense” “Sigh, it’s not my lucky day” the Mink swordswoman sighed “Tia, you won this round I guess” “Thank you, Anty~” the blond ferret knight replied with a wide grin as she put aside her jousting spear and they shook hands “If our war went like this, challenging Pastillage is no longer a dream” “It’s not like Pastillage is experienced either… though I admit, we’re too short on strength to challenge them individually” With two attractive but strong maiden looking at him with intense gaze, Euno couldn’t feel nothing but feel threatened. “[And now, let’s ask the Hero who just arrived here!]” The announcer quickly approached Euno “[Ah, before that we might need to introduce ourselves, you’re Highness, pretty please!]” The swordswoman waste no time but bowed at him with one arm gave him a welcome gesture, her curly reddish brown hair swirl fiercely yet elegantly along her elaborate leather armor “My name is Antoinette, the Prince of Andouilette” Euno wanted to ask because clearly this Prince is a female, but maybe that’s how the title works, since come female ruler, such as in Ancient times, has the title of King or Kaiser. “I am representative of Pattiserie Alliance, from House of Parfait, Tiara Au Parfait” The blond ferret lady knelled a little while raising the tip of her battle dress. From the sound of it, the Alliance is composed of several Noble Houses, each with their own territories but is unified for certain aspect. For him that has to deal with various cultures, it’s a child’s play to figure. Euno figures that since he was introducing himself to nobles and their people, he might as well deliver some courtesy even if he might fail at it. He put a right fist in his left palm and lowered his head “My name is Euno Scrya, though I’m mystified regarding the reason of my arrival here, it’s an honor to meet not one, but two beautiful maiden in my wake” he finished his introduction with a radiant smile. (No thanks to Chrono for teaching him some cheap-ass pick-up lines.) “And I’m here as the main host of this war-game, Louise Camembert, I hereby said, Welcome to Flognarde, Lady Scrya” And here goes the scream again. “Uh, Sir Scrya would be the correct term” The crowd instantly went into total silence. ________________________________________ Euno don’t know the reason, but he was quickly dragged by several people. Not quite understand their intention, he simply release himself and tried to run, it’s kind of late to introduce themselves as palace butlers and they’re tasked to take care of him. “Ah, forgive me then, but I’m still unaccustomed to this kind of activity” “We’re the one at fault, honorable Hero, I, as the head of the Butler corps of Parfait Family, truly ashamed” “No, I was the one that should be ashamed; a stranger stranded in someone’s land and yet received such kindness from her Majesty” “Even if you are, you are a hero, an imposing figure almost on par with country leaders themselves” “…… well, Sir” “Please call me Quiche” the old butler smiled gently, made Euno feel truly eased. “The way I’m called, a Hero, I still haven’t any grasps to its meaning, so please explain that” A hero is an entity summoned to Flognarde in the dire of need; many records had shown that such event does not happen just once or twice. A hero is indeed a powerful figure, not only has the strength to protect themselves and people around them but also moved the hearts of other, turning it into collective effort that send away suffering and disaster. Summoning a hero is a valid tactic in war as well, but the risk is sometimes not worth, particularly for the heroes themselves. Since these days, war, while important and affect everything, is part of daily occasion and is far from threatening. “So you can say that I’m summoned here, though accidentally, as a Hero” “Correct, until recently, there’s no clear information but now… well, please look at this” It’s a photo, photo of a boy around Euno’s age. He was blond and having clear pair of blue eyes, indeed, from a single glance, Euno can feel overwhelming charisma. “This is the hero of Biscotti Republic, Sir Cinque Izumi” Izumi, sounds like Japanese name. But it might be simply coincidence unless… Unless this guy is what caused the magic sensor to bleep, particularly, the teleportation spell used to summon him here. Does that mean Euno can use his teleport as well? He might not know his current position, but he KNEW the dimensional coordinate of Earth. Assuming this world and Earth share the same timeline, there should be no problem. “With three other heroes appears after his arrival we could recognize their common appearance. They don’t have tails like us, and they have hairless ears on the side of their head” Quiche pointed his own fluffy ferret ears “Just like you are, Honorable Hero” “Please call me Scrya, or Euno if you want, Sir Quiche” “If that’s your wish, so be it, Sir Scrya. It’s seems that you are summoned accidentally by the Old Shrine of summoning in the City of Memories” “City of Memories?” “The ruined remnants of the civilization you see in the battlefield” Quiche explained “Long ago, it was capital of a large, prosperous country, following its destruction, this country split into several parts, amongst those parts are Pattiserie and Andouilette” “I see…” “We are small country reborn from the ashes of the glorious past, if you wish for the knowledge to return to your own world, I suggest you go to Duchy of Pastillage or Republic or Biscotti, they are well versed in terms of magic and scientific knowledge compared to us” “Your Majesty” Quiche quickly bow on Tiara’s arrival, who just nod on the chair facing Euno. “It would be good if we have some tea while having a little chat, and if Antoinette-sama arrives, please tell her to join us” The old butler nod and left. “Is that the name of a neighboring country of sort?” “Indeed, if we head west past the forest area, well arrive in Duchy of Pastillage” Tiara’s hair, which is braided back then in the battlefield, was left untouched as of now, its silky texture and beautiful golden color entranced Euno for a bit, even though both of them share exact hair tone (not full blond but more like strawberry blond). She is wearing a knee-length green dress with white trimming; it looks casual but not losing the sense of royalty, Euno noted. He had himself treated using a self-cleaning spell, but lacking actual grooming and decent clothes made him feel inferior, even more so than before now that there are just two of them. He should’ve accepted the offer before. “I can arrange something with the Candidate Duchess, Couvert from the House of Eschenbach-” If there’s a pin falling, they might’ve heard it, only three second after that Euno able to react without broke his expression “I hereby flattered by your offer, Milady, that much…. I feel I don’t deserve such kindness” “N-no, it’s great if we can help. At any rate, it’s because our ancestor’s mistake, we will sought anything if we could fix that” Euno can hold it longer; those people are way too trusting and naive. He could be a pretending criminal and it would work in his behalf! This is dangerous! They’re staking international business here! Let’s see using their logic then, IF hew was indeed a criminal, he will stand out like no one else because he has no tails and no furry ears. Flimsy excuse, but that will be enough for now. Even then, the tension increased as the silence continues for a good few minutes. “If you are worried about feeling overwhelmed I have a suggestion” “Annie, please be polite” “Sorry, sorry” the redheaded princess waved her hands casually as she join them circling the table “What I mean is, if you fought as our Hero, then political arrangement is merely trivial things rather than something unbelievable” In short, nepotism. Euno feel an aneurism again, he already experience as much in the case of his employment in TSAB. “But Annie, we agreed that we will challenge Duchy on our own strength right?!” “Demon King Valerio Calvados, as well as King of Heroes Adel Gran Mariner, both of them is affiliated with the Duchy of Pastillage now, it’s quite possibly that they’ll join the future battles as well. With their presence alone and their new Hero, Lady Anderson, their military power has been increased magnificently” “EEEEEHH?! But aren’t their existence merely a folk story?!” “No longer a legend I’d say, I just receive some news about it moments ago” Antoinette deliver a wry smile, frightened herself “A hero is equal one hundred Warriors: that much almost everyone knew and accepted as a fact. Now, we’re talking about King of Heroes, possibly the strongest Hero ever existed, and his Archenemy the Demon King, who are just as powerful. Can you imagine what happen if we fought them with our own forces as of now? We will be annihilated in less than an hour or two” “Milady, here the tea as you requested” “Thank you very much, Quiche. You’re dismissed” Tiara was caught in a deep thought, not only Euno was unwillingly summoned here, but now he has to participate as actual Hero. Normally, anyone will refuse. And even in the case that he really has no choice but to do it so he could return; she will feel bad about the whole deal. “In short, assuming the coalition force of Patisserie and Andouilette can perform well in the future war game against larger countries, they might be recognized more and thus gaining political power as well” Euno muttered. Showing a hint of sadness in her voice, Antoinette nodded “Our distant relative across the city of memories, we hope that we could unite once again, or at least create a new bond. Our voice can’t reach them by this point, and so, we have to prove ourselves” Euno smiled. “A hero, it’s a extravagant title for someone like me but it’d be foolish to refuse” Euno clasped his hand “I don’t know how much I can contribute, however, if I could be some use, then I’m honored” Tiara’s eyes widened and Antoinette’s lips spread widely, and they ask harmoniously “Are you serious?!” “As a man that sought knowledge, it’s a waste for me not utilize my abilities to gain more of them. It’s a great privilege to serve you, Lady Parfait and Lady Andouilette” Tiara’s face darkened, she’s trembling and gripping the table tightly. Euno wonder what’s wrong but kept silent “Excuse for a bit” “Won’t stop you, Tia” Antoinette replied with a hint of humor in her otherwise calm voice. As soon as she stood up, Tia began to jump left and right and squeal madly, as if she’s entranced with a dangerous drug or something equivalent. If it wasn’t Euno, one might be freaked out by the display. “Weasel War Dance eh… I’m not a stranger to that” Euno chuckled a little, Antoinette raised eyebrow on that statement. Both of them continue to watch the excited princess as they enjoy the tasty aromatic tea. Euno couldn’t remember if he ever tasted better. “Do you like it? The tea is indigenous to Biscotti and is considered luxury overseas” No wonder it’s so delicious. Euno wonder if he could brings some home for Nanoha and Harlaown family. Lindy-san will be especially pleased. ________________________________________ I want to insert Alph, Zafira, or possibly both in the situation, but I need help to make it plausible. And yes, I go overboard in theme naming as well....
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 Last edited by ZeroXSEED; 2012-08-14 at 21:43. |
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authorshipping, befriending, fanfiction, interactive fanfiction, nanoha  |
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