Oh, and for a quick reference, I've been trying to compile a timeline of Shadowverse stories, to get them more or less in order:
Spoiler for Shadowverse timeline (unofficial):
Timeline of "Shadowverse" Stories/Events
Key:
Boldface Text indicates events drawn from canon Underlined Text indicates significant events in the Shadowverse
MC0001: Founding of the TSAB and formation of the Council
MC0065: Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha and Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha A's occur
MC0065: NSIS Director Admiral Gil Graham removed from position after role in black-budgeted scheme to use freezing-magic "Durandal" to seal Book of Darkness; Graham allowed to retire to Earth to restrict exposure of NSIS from public exposure.
MC0065: Lutecia Alpino (Alphine) born
MC0067: Lutecia kidnapped by Jail Scaglietti
MC00??: Chrono Harlaown appointed NSIS Director.
MC0075: Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha StrikerS occurs. Lutecia rescued from Jail and sentenced to rehabilitation on Mau Gram until she is deemed psychologically capable of re-entering society. Vivio adopted by Takamachi Nanoha and Fate T. Harlaown. Vivio = 6 y.o.; Lutecia = 10 y.o..
MC0078: Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha StrikerS Sound Stage X occurs. Vivio and Lutecia help research Ixpellia and Mariage for investigation of the Mariage Incident. Runessa Magnus convicted of murder and magical terrorism.
MC0078: "Shadows Fall" (DezoPenguin) Lutecia recruited by the NSIS under the auspices of Director Chrono Harlaown.
MC0079: "First Time" (RadiantBeam) Dating on this is based on the fact that it's Lutecia's first kill, and she theoretically kills again
MC0079: "Miranda" (RadiantBeam) Lutecia identifies herself as 14 here
MC0081: "Learn the Hard Way" (RadiantBeam) Vivio realizes that she loves Lutecia.
MC0082: "Never Been Kissed" (RadiantBeam) Vivio and Lutecia's first kiss
MC0082: "Like Mother, Like Daughter" (DezoPenguin)
MC0082: Miranda killed. Dating based on discussions with RadiantBeam
MC0083: "Burning Glory" (RadiantBeam) Another blind guess at the dating
MC0083: "Keep Your Thoughts Close" (RadiantBeam)
MC0084: "Never Confessed" (RadiantBeam) Vivio and Lutecia become girlfriends
MC0084: "Clearly Parenting Had an Effect" (DezoPenguin)
MC0084: "Mothers and Daughters" (DezoPenguin)
MC0084: "Daddy's Little Girl" (RadiantBeam) Dating of this story based on Nanoha asserting that Lutecia has "three years" to wait, ergo Vivio = 15 y.o.
MC0084: "Following Her Lead" (DezoPenguin)
MC0084: "Jealousy's Just Another Form of Love" (RadiantBeam)
MC0084: "Tongue Rape" (RadiantBeam)
MC0084: "Sinners and Saints" (RadiantBeam) Dating is post-"Never Confessed" but no idea otherwise
MC0084: "Within Our Own Shadow" (DezoPenguin) Dating listed as six years after Mariage incident
MC0085: "I Spy" (RadiantBeam) Dating uncertain but between "Daddy's Little Girl" and "The Christmas Locket"
MC0085: "Glasses" (RadiantBeam)
MC0085: "Romance Studies" (DezoPenguin)
MC0085: "The Deep Shadow of Chrono Harlaown" (spawnofthejudge/Dracis Tran) Dating purely pulled out of thin air but would seem more likely to be later in the arc due to Chrono's flirting with burnout.
MC0085: "Gentle Shadow" (RadiantBeam story + DezoPenguin omake) Another guess on the dating
MC0085: "Didn't Want to Hurt Her" (RadiantBeam) Lutecia mentions it's been 10 years since Jail
MC0085: "The Christmas Locket" (RadiantBeam) Lutecia 20 y.o. in this story
MC0085: "The White Devil is Scary" (DezoPenguin)
MC0085: "Bet on It" (RadiantBeam)
MC0086: "I Spy" (DezoPenguin)
MC0086: "Waiting Game" (RadiantBeam) It's post-"The Christmas Locket" since Vivio's wearing the locket. I believe that "Something About Fate-mama Just Bugs Me" was taking place during this one...
MC0086: "Something About Fate-mama Just Bugs Me" (DezoPenguin)
MC0086: "The Godzilla Threshold" (DezoPenguin)
MC0086: "Shadow" (RadiantBeam)
MC0086: "The White Devil's In The Details" (DezoPenguin)
MC0086: "Sunrise" ch. 1 (RadiantBeam)
MC0086: "Sunrise" ch. 2 (RadiantBeam)
MC0086: "The Shadows We Cast" (DezoPenguin)
MC0086: "Caught Within Shadows" (DezoPenguin)
MC0086: "Sunrise" ch. 3 (RadiantBeam)
MC0086: "Sometimes We Sweat the Small Stuff" (DezoPenguin)
MC0086: "Long Distance Goodbye" (RadiantBeam)
MC0086: "Excuses" (RadiantBeam)
MC0087: false light (synaesthetic/cori.writes.stuff)
Omitted as non-official fanon (either because they're in alternate timelines or just for fun):
"Alternate Realities FTW," "Sunset," "Broken," "Borderline," "The Perfect Gift" (RadiantBeam)
"Border Crossing" (DezoPenguin)
"Shadow in the Rain" (DezoPenguin), Crime Never Sleeps (deathcurse)
Whatever it was that Sniperk wrote using the Shadows as a background concept.
(not sure if "Excuses" needs to be here as well)
Nice work! Looks like I can now start reading things in order. Thanks!
“How many more do you think they've got on here?” Fiore wondered aloud, stepping over the unconscious body of a fallen pirate. The bridge deck was thicker with enemies—already they had taken out four with surprise attacks.
Celica shook her head. “No real way of knowing. That jamming field is so powerful it's screwing with Tizona's instruments. He can't get a good reading beyond fifteen meters.”
“We've taken out five so far,” Fiore pointed out hopefully. “That's good, right?”
“If it's really Vartis pirates, they've got at least twenty on board. Vartis raiding parties are organized in units of ten and they rarely bring only one unit. For something the size of Shiva, I'd bet that there's at least three units, maybe four, spread throughout the ship.”
“Hunting them all down isn't going to be easy.”
“You're right about that,” Celica stated. “These ones haven't been too impressive, either... it's only going to get rougher from here. If we can get to the bridge, Tizona and I can access the core computer and lock down the helm. They won't be able to make a dimensional jump or activate the maneuvering thrusters.”
“Then it's just a matter of rounding the rats up.”
“Easier said than done,” Celica murmured. “We don't know what's waiting for us at the bridge. The Vartis are unpredictable and dangerous, and the leader of this group is likely a powerful mage in his own right.”
Fiore glanced at the doors lining the corridor leading to the bridge. All of the panels had been disabled through magic, sealing them shut, and the mage who had done so didn't do a very neat job of it. The control panels were blackened, the small status displays dark.
“They've been sealing off sections of the ship,” Fiore noted.
“Another tactic to prevent the crew from mounting an effective resistance,” said Celica seriously. “The crew complement of Shiva is one hundred seventy-five, not including our three squads of marines.” Which have likely been killed by now, Celica added silently.
If it were she hijacking the Shiva, the marines would be the first targets she would eliminate after commandeering the bridge. They were the most dangerous, three squads of twelve combat-seasoned Bureau clerks. Given the chance, they would be able to take the ship back.
We can't count on them, Celica reminded herself. The double-door leading to the Shiva's bridge was just ahead.
“Stay frosty,” Celica told Fiore. The younger girl nodded and hefted Glanzfaust menacingly. Fiore was young and inexperienced, but she had the potential to be one of the best Enforcers in the Navy. Her current stint as a data-sifter was just a stepping stone toward her eventual destiny.
“Tizona, open the door,” Celica murmured. The Device complied with a flash of electric-blue, the door sliding open soundlessly.
The bridge crew were lined up along the port side of the bridge, their mouths gagged with strips of rough cloth, their hands and feet bound with shimmering magical binds.
The pirates stood on the starboard side, a motley collection of men and women dressed in mismatched combat fatigues and Barrier Jackets. Several of the pirates carried low-end Storage Devices, while others gripped modern linear rifles or primitive chemical-based slugthrowers.
It was hard to believe that such a ragtag group of thieves had managed to hijack the Navy's most advanced warship. Of course, without the good Captain's help, they never would have even gotten close, Celica knew.
The leader of the Vartis pirates sat insolently in the command chair, his legs crossed and propped up on the console. Upon hearing the door open, the man swung his feet down and stepped down to the bridge, scrutinizing the two intruders for a long moment. Then he shrugged.
“Kill them.”
The dozen pirates and thugs on the port side suddenly exploded into motion. Mass weapons were brought up and fired, the still air filled with a hail of fast-moving metal slugs. The mages among the group activated their Devices and added blasts of glowing energy to the deadly barrage.
Fiore planted her feet firmly on the deck and brought her Device forward, holding her steel-encased palm outward.
“Glanzfaust, Cartridge Load!”
“Explosion!”
A green-glowing Belkan magic circle materialized in midair before Fiore's outstretched palm, bringing up a wide forward defensive shield that easily blocked the physical projectiles, the bullets disintegrating upon contact with the barrier.
“[Pulse Lancer],” Tizona barked as eight glowing points of blue-white light streaked forward with frightening speed. Celica intentionally targeted the pirates armed with mass-based weapons—correctly assuming they were not mages and could not easily withstand a magical attack.
To their credit, the Device-wielding pirates managed to bring up defensive barriers in an attempt to protect their non-mage allies. Fortunately for Celica, the shields were not solid enough to block the shots of an AA-ranked mage, even one who wasn't a warrior. Tizona's magical blasts shattered the protective domes as if they were delicate glass.
A storm of homing bullets unerringly blasted into the bodies of the gunmen, knocking them to the deck heavily.
“Fiore!” Celica cried, dodging a brilliant blast of magical energy. The young Belkan knight nodded and charged into melee, slamming her heavy gauntlet into the midsection of a Device-wielding pirate.
The man doubled over in agony, the breath blasted from his body as a result of the hammer blow. Fiore wasn't done; using the counter-force of her blow, she pivoted on her left foot and slammed her plated boot into the man's head, snapping his neck back and sending him crashing to the deck.
The other pirates stared at the petite girl, their jaws collectively dropping in astonishment. Fiore was deceptively delicate, but the girl was packed with explosive power.
Celica took advantage of the momentary distraction, brandishing Tizona as she rushed into the fray. Melee was not her forte—Celica usually preferred to blast her enemies at range when she fought—but there just wasn't enough room in the bridge of the ship. She definitely did not want to inadvertently blast a hole through the hull.
The remaining five pirates were all mages, armed with variations on the standard-issue staff-type Bureau Storage Device. Some were heavily customized and modified, scarcely resembling the original weapons. Others were obsolete models no longer in use by the Bureau. Most were in poor condition, likely due to heavy use and inadequate maintenance.
All of them, however, were aimed at Celica and Fiore. The pirate mages responded to the defeat of their comrades with a roar of rage, loosing a thunderous barrage of glowing death.
The air filled with magic bullets. Celica put her long, muscular legs to good use, weaving and dodging to avoid the projectiles, trying to get into melee, where the ordinary Mid-style Devices would be at a disadvantage against Tizona's Belkan-influenced design.
Celica could hear the pirate leader laughing uproariously as Fiore beat a tattooed female pirate into unconsciousness. The man was testing his minions, watching how well they handled themselves against two powerful mages.
The red-haired woman decided it was time to end the show. She looked down at her Device and nodded. Tizona understood.
“[Overclock],” Tizona said ominously.
Celica's body blazed with crackling arcs of blue-white lightning. She felt her Linker Core pulse and resonate as the spell fed power back through her, momentarily boosting her abilities to extreme levels.
Time seemed to slow down to a crawl, the pirates' movements appearing as if they had been mired in a thick, invisible mud. It was only too easy for Celica to dodge the lazily-sailing blasts from their staves.
Tizona flashed brilliantly as she attacked.
“[Disseverment].”
Celica felt her hand guided by Tizona as the two of them, together, completed a complex, dizzying flurry of slashes and stabs, the Device's blade glowing fiercely with argent flame. Every swing connected, striking flesh or armor, and every hit detonated in a tiny but powerful explosion of magical light.
The red-haired woman reversed direction and bounded forward, not bothering to examine her handiwork; Fiore would take care of any stragglers. She could see now that the pirate leader was no longer smiling. The man had taken out his own Device and was in the process of ever-so-slowly dropping into a combat stance.
Celica charged forward recklessly, brandishing Tizona with murderous intent, but she had miscalculated. The pirate captain sidestepped at the very last second, Tizona's razor-sharp edge missing his throat by less than a centimeter.
A tremendous heavy blow crashed down on the back of Celica's head, sending her crashing against the deck. Agonizing pain radiated from the point of impact, and Celica's vision began to blur around the edges. The man had struck her hard enough to blast through the defensive enchantments of her Barrier Jacket.
“That should slow you down,” the pirate leader said, chuckling. Celica frowned and clambered back to her feet. Her eyes widened as she realized her opponent was speaking the literal truth—her perception of time and motion had returned to normal. Celica's Overclock effect had been dispelled!
“How the—?”
The pirate leader grinned fiercely and whipped around a heavy metal tonfa so quickly that the air whistled. So that's what he had struck her with, Celica realized.
“My Storage Device, the Silencer,” the pirate leader purred. “It is very useful for killing mages, as I'm sure you've noticed.”
Fiore, be careful, Celica whispered into her assistant's mind. That Device can dispel magical effects on whatever it hits.
“Let's see what you've got,” the pirate leader hissed viciously, leaping forward, Silencer spinning around in a dizzying arc. Celica parried the blow with Tizona, correctly gauging the power behind the strike, deflecting her opponent's arm up high.
“I'll show you what I've got,” Celica said, smirking. She took a half-step back and lashed out with her right foot, catching the man squarely in the groin.
The pirate leader's eyes bulged and he wheezed in purely masculine agony, but the man was too experienced to allow the pain to compromise his stance. He went on the offensive, striking blow after blow with Silencer, but Celica somehow managed to parry each blow.
“Damn,” Celica murmured. Her wrist ached abominably from the repeated deflections and parries—the pirate leader was strong and a lot more skilled in close combat than she was.
Fiore took advantage of the pirate leader's focus on Celica and darted in, kicking high, driving the man back a few paces. She wound up and threw a devastating right hook that went wide, missing the pirate's jaw by a centimeter. The man was on the defensive.
“Tizona, do it,” Celica ordered. The Interface Device complied, conjuring three fiercely-glowing motes of electric-blue light.
“[Pulse Lancer].”
Celica sent the magic missiles streaking unerringly for the man's head. She meant to knock him unconscious, end this fight quickly. But the pirate leader was skilled; he reflexively brought Silencer up to bear. The Device's unusual magic-dispelling aura caused Celica's attack to vanish as if it had never been.
“Now that wasn't very nice,” the pirate snarled contemptuously. He whirled around and kicked at Fiore; the Belkan knight brought Glanzfaust up and blocked the attack with the armored gauntlet, but the force of the blow still sent her skidding backwards, struggling to stay upright.
This isn't going to be easy, Celica thought grimly.
* * *
Lutecia poked her head out of the small access panel in the deck plating, peering around to make sure she was alone. The corridor was empty; Lutecia levered herself out of the maintenance crawlspace and shut the access panel behind her.
According to Asclepius's map of the Shiva, she should be on the command deck within a moment's walk from the bridge. The sounds of combat reached her ears—either the pirates were fighting amongst themselves, or members of the Shiva's crew were fighting back.
Lutecia hoped it was the latter, but she would take infighting among the hijackers, too.
The lilac-haired summoner bounded down the corridor, reaching the double door leading to the bridge itself. The door was closed, and the sounds of combat became louder. The fight was on the bridge, she deduced, and it was still going strong.
With a flash of black-purple light, the insect guardian Garyuu appeared. The alien creature was not just a summoned monster, an expendable conjuration that Lutecia held with force of magic and will. Garyuu was an intelligent servant, almost a familiar in a way, who was utterly loyal to Lutecia.
He was also a strong warrior, particularly devastating in melee and unarmed combat. Lutecia's greatest strength lie in her ability to summon an army of insectoid creatures to attack her enemies, but in the cramped confines of the Bureau warship, Garyuu and her wasps were the most potent weapons she held.
The door to the bridge slid open soundlessly and Lutecia stepped into a raging battle. Two female Bureau mages were locked in a vicious melee against a heavily-tattooed man—the pirate leader, Fulton. Lutecia immediately recognized the women fighting against him as the officers from the operations office.
“Garyuu, attack,” Lutecia said softly. The insect guardian nodded and charged, razor-sharp blades springing from hidden sheaths above his wrists. The black-armored creature tackled Fulton bodily, knocking the man off-balance, but not off his feet.
A flash of purple light exploded around Garyuu, so intense that Lutecia was forced to shield her eyes. When the brilliant glow ceased, Garyuu was gone. The summoner's jaw dropped in astonishment. She knew Garyuu hadn't been killed—or even severely injured—but somehow the summoning link anchoring the insect guardian to this dimension had been severed.
“His Device dispels magic!” Celica shouted in explanation. Lutecia grimaced at that. Her summons were anchored to this dimension through her own magic. By striking Garyuu, the pirate leader had disrupted that connection, sending Garyuu back to his dimension of origin.
Even without Garyuu, I'm not defenseless, Lutecia thought angrily. She sent a mental command out and dozens upon dozens of her wasps began to gather, hovering around her body protectively. The pirate would have a hard time striking her insects.
“Insects, go,” Lutecia commanded gently.
The wasps flew toward Fulton, slashing and striking against his body. A veritable cloud of the bio-mechanical creatures surrounded him, partially obscuring his form. The pirate mage swung his tonfa wildly, occasionally striking the insects. Lutecia winced as a few of the wasps exploded from the impact, the tiny summons delicate enough that the physical blow destroyed them before the magic-dispelling club could unsummon them.
Celica didn't hesitate, taking full advantage of the opening Lutecia had created. She sent a mental command to her Device.
“[Cannon Form],” Tizona said. The Interface Device quickly altered its physical form, elongating the hilt and widening the pommel into a shoulder-brace. The dagger blade bifurcated and split, revealing a blue crystal aperture from which bombardment attacks could be fired.
Celica brought Tizona up and braced the weapon against her shoulder. A blue-white Midchildan magic circle blazed under her feet as she powered up for a devastating blast that would decisively end the battle.
“[Plasma Cannon].”
A torrent of blue-white fire poured from Tizona's aperture, blasting through the air and barreling directly toward the pirate mage. Lutecia's insect summons scattered at the last second, narrowly avoiding being instantly incinerated by the attack.
The pirate leader regained his wits and brought Silencer up to defend, shouting out a defensive spell and planting his feet firmly against the deck. The Device's magic-dispelling power was not enough to completely nullify Celica's attack, however. The rogue mage's shield crumbled under the assault, the blast of power sending him slamming against the starboard bulkhead.
“Fiore, now!” Celica cried.
The Belkan knight grinned fiercely and rushed in, Glanzfaust blazing with brilliant green flame. The Device's cartridge system cycled twice as it saturated its mana reservoir, preparing to deliver a debilitating blow that would send the pirate captain into unconsciousness.
“Magma... Hammer!” Fiore roared as she charged, her gauntleted right fist pulled back for a devastating blow. Green fire wreathed the mage's body as she struck—
“[Flash Move].”
—the deck of the ship. Armored metal plates buckled and consoles erupted in a shower of sparks as the powerful melee attack missed its mark and instead tore a gaping hole in the deck plating.
The pirate captain stood, his patchwork Barrier Jacket torn and damaged, but still very much alive—and very dangerous. The man grinned a death's-head smile.
Celica's eyes widened in horror as the pirate captain whipped Silencer around, pointing the shorter, open end of the tonfa baton directly at Fiore's heart.
“[Striker Shot],” Silencer said, the Device's sultry female voice sounding a death knell.
The aperture of the Storage Device flared with deadly power and a narrow midnight-blue beam of intense heat and energy tore through Fiore's chest. The beam slashed through her Knight's armor as if it were naught but tissue paper, utterly ignoring all her defenses.
“Fiore!” Celica screamed, watching the young girl fall to the deck. Blood pooled underneath her body as she struggled weakly, trying to stand up, but it was clear that there would be no saving her. The extremely focused beam of magical energy had pierced Fiore's heart.
“C... el... i...—” Fiore croaked. She coughed wetly, blood bubbling up from her lips and running down her pale cheeks. Her eyes fluttered weakly. Celica let out wordless cry of anguish, rushing over to aid the fallen girl.
Celica came up short and shot the pirate captain a glare so cold that Lutecia felt shivers run up her spine. Tizona whipped around with frightening speed, magical energy swirling in the air as the weapon changed forms, returning to its dagger shape.
“I will kill you,” Celica snarled, breaking into a deadly charge, Tizona's gleaming blade leading. The pirate captain stared disdainfully, bringing Silencer up for a second lethal attack.
“[Striker Shot].”
“[Overclock],” Tizona countered. Wreathed in argent fire, Celica's body moved at impossible speeds. The midnight-blue beam of incandescent death scythed through the spot where her head had been only moments before. Celica moved at inhuman speed, dodging and charging into melee range.
“[Vertical Cleave],” Tizona shouted viciously, the Device mirroring his mistress's emotions.
The silver flame intensified, extending and shaping into an enormous blazing sword of magical energy. Celica gripped the Device in both hands and whipped the deadly blade upward, then brought it crashing down with sundering force.
Fulton screamed in horror and moved to bring Silencer up to deflect the blow, knowing that the blade formed of burning magical energy would be instantly dispelled by his Device's special ability. If only he could deflect the attack—even through the slightest contact, Silencer would nullify the energies.
Celica expected that. At the last moment, she altered the angle of her attack—instead of a heavy downward chop, she whirled around, slashing viciously at a sharp descending angle. The blazing sword tore through the man's body and Barrier Jacket, slicing him apart from shoulder to hip.
Fulton let out a horrible cry of agony that ended in a wet, strangled gurgle as his body—or rather, the two separate halves of his body—fell to the deck plating. The body cavities sagged as blood and entrails spilled out. The sharp metallic scent of vaporized blood filled Celica's nostrils.
It was over. The pirate leader was dead.
Celica took a deep, ragged breath and turned around. It was only then that Celica noticed Lutecia, already crouched beside the mortally wounded Fiore. The black gloves that held Asclepius's main body were soaked with blood as Lutecia put pressure on the wound, desperately trying to stem the flow.
Celica dropped Tizona to the deck, the argent energy blade flickering once before dissipating. She rushed over and knelt down beside Lutecia, desperately looking into Fiore's eyes, searching for some sign of life, some sign that the girl would survive this. The blue eyes fluttered once—Celica gasped in relief as they focused on her face.
“C... e... l...—“ Fiore whispered, barely audible. The voice was so weak, Celica felt her heart catch in her throat. Tears flowed unheeded down her cheeks, falling to the metal deck.
“I'm here, Fiore,” Celica murmured soothingly, clutching the girl's right hand in her own. Fiore's hand was ice-cold and clammy, sticky with her own blood.
“I'm... not going... to make it,” the Belkan knight gasped, blood seeping from the corner of her mouth. “Cel... ica... please...—”
“Don't talk like that, Fiore! You are going to survive this! You can't die!”
“Sorry... Cel... ica...—” Fiore coughed again, blood and spittle spraying from her lips, wheezing painfully as her body struggled to prolong her life. It was a hopeless battle. Celica watched, her voice frozen in her throat as the light shining in Fiore's eyes slowly faded.
Fiore's right hand, still wearing Glanzfaust, clenched Celica's wrist with surprising strength.
“I... wanted to... tell you... but—”
“What is it, Fiore? What did you want to tell me?” Celica asked, placing her free hand on top of the cold metal of the gauntlet.
“I... I...—”
The lips mouthed the words silently, slowly as Celica watched the life leave Fiore's eyes. They stared sightlessly ahead, the body going limp, the pressure under Lutecia's hands suddenly dropping off.
“She's gone,” Lutecia murmured softly.
Celica nodded, wiping the tears from her eyes, leaving streaks of Fiore's blood on her cheeks, but she paid it no heed. The gray-eyed mage reached out and gently closed Fiore's eyes and kissed the dead girl's lips gently.
“I wish you had told me sooner,” Celica whispered. Lutecia watched, her reddish-brown eyes filled with compassion as the other woman stood up and retrieved her Device. The operations analyst walked stiffly toward the command console and tapped in a string of commands.
“Tizona, switch to Interface Form,” she muttered. The Device complied, altering his form into that of an array of holographic displays and input panels. Lutecia watched as the mage's fingers flew over the input panels, entering in commands, altering permissions and granting administrative access. Lines of code scrolled across the multiple displays as Celica worked to regain control of the ship.
Lutecia stood motionless, staring at the woman for a long moment before she walked away without a word.
The summoner had one more task to attend to.
* * *
Eli Matheson knew he was a dead man.
The woman standing before him—the supplemental crew member, Reika Jennings. It was a phony name, of course. Matheson had been in the Bureau long enough to have heard the rumors—the silent killers who worked behind the scenes, under a blanket of plausible deniability. Those faceless, unknown agents the Bureau used for problems that could not be solved through ordinary military or political process.
They were known as the Shadows.
“I've come to kill you, Matheson,” Lutecia said simply. There was no emotion in her voice whatsoever. She took no joy in murder, took no pleasure in killing. For Lutecia, it was simply her task—a task she would complete faithfully.
“No... get away! Stay away from me!”
Lutecia stared dispassionately at the man. She didn't like this at all. Her targets often fell apart when confronted with the fact that they were to be eliminated. It never made it any easier. She preferred those who met their demise with quiet dignity—but those individuals were exceedingly rare.
The once-proud captain of the Navy's most advanced warship was on his knees, blubbering and whimpering like a frightened child. Lutecia had pored over the man's dossier. He was not a mage, but his service record was well above average, putting him squarely in the company of the elite. As a reward, the TSAB had given him command of the Shiva.
And he had betrayed that trust. Lutecia felt the hatred swell within her and was thankful for the feeling. She fed that hatred, filling her mind with images of Matheson's exploits, the Bureau's trust placed in his hands.
It didn't make her task any easier, but it made it possible. Lutecia extended her right hand and summoned magical energy, sending a black-violet projectile of explosive force streaking forth from her index finger.
The single bullet of mystic force blasted through the unprotected Matheson's forehead, detonating upon impact. The traitorous officer's head exploded like an overripe melon, splattering blood and brain matter against the far wall. Lutecia watched with blank eyes as the man's lifeless body fell heavily to the deck.
Her mission was complete. The summoner felt a certain sense of accomplishment, but she did not feel pleased. The image of Fiore's innocent smile, her cheerful and animated face flashed into her mind.
This victory carried with it a heavy price.
* * *
NSIS Headquarters
Cranagan, Midchilda
04.02.0081
“You're really pushing hard for this, Alphine. I would like to know why.”
Lutecia Alphine stared hard at the admiral, her reddish-brown eyes flinty. “You've already debriefed me. You've seen the Shiva's activity logs. You've perused her dossier. What more evidence do you need?”
“I admit, she would be a tremendous asset to NSIS. Colonel Davidson in EAID would be thrilled to have an analyst with an Interface Device working under him. What I want to know,” Chrono said seriously, “is why you are getting on my case about this so strongly.”
“I... don't know, Admiral,” Lutecia said honestly. “I haven't gotten the chance to know her well, but I... I don't know. I like her, to be perfectly frank. And...” Lutecia trailed off meaningfully.
“You feel responsible for the death of her friend,” Chrono stated. It was not a question.
“If I had fought harder, Fiore would still be alive—”
“You have no way of knowing that for sure,” Chrono admonished her. “Even if you do feel like you owe her, what makes you think an appointment to NSIS would be any sort of recompense?”
Lutecia said nothing.
“All right, I'll run this past Colonel Davidson. Ultimately, though, the choice will be hers. We can't force her into NSIS.”
“I know that,” Lutecia replied, the gratitude evident in her voice. “Thank you, Admiral.”
“Don't ever mention it, Alphine. That will be all; dismissed.”
Lutecia saluted smartly, turning around and walking out the door. Chrono waited for a long moment before tapping a command into the console on his desk. The office door slid shut silently and sealed; a split-second later, a second, hidden door on the far wall of his office slid open.
A woman of average height and short brown hair stepped out. She was dressed in the dark blue Navy uniform and skirt, but her rank insignia marked her as a general officer from the Ground Forces. Her blue eyes shined with authority... and not a little mischief.
“What do you think, Hayate?” Chrono asked.
“I agree with Lutecia,” the woman said without hesitation. “She would be a natural fit within NSIS. Iris-Lynnfield is dependable, loyal and intelligent. She has more than the rank required. Her record speaks for itself—her assignment as the Shiva's senior operations analyst should have told you that much.”
“I am not opposed to transferring her to NSIS,” Chrono replied. “I worry, though, about bringing anyone on after such a traumatic event. From all reports, the two were very close.”
“It's ultimately your decision, Chrono—yours and hers,” Hayate said softly. “I will be submitting my official recommendation, attached to Lieutenant Alphine's request for recruitment.”
Chrono smiled wearily. “I will talk to her.”
“Thank you, Chrono,” Hayate replied graciously, walking back across the office toward the hidden door, opened to a tunnel that would take her back to the central spire of the Ground Forces headquarters. It was one of many “black” entrances to the NSIS compound, where one of Hayate's public stature might enter without wild speculation.
Chrono glanced at the clock and sighed heavily. Another long day had ended, another near-disastrous incident nipped in the bud by his agency. The stresses of his office ground heavily upon him, but when his agents were able to pull off something like this...
“It makes all the pain worthwhile,” he said quietly. Gathering up his things, Chrono turned off the lights and exited through the “black” tunnel leading to the Ground Forces spire, where he would make an appearance in his “official” office before heading home.
I wonder what Amy has planned for dinner, the admiral wondered idly.
“I'm sorry, Celica,” Lutecia said softly. “If I had been faster—”
“It wasn't your fault,” Celica said glumly. Lutecia frowned at the expression that had painted the woman's face for days since the incident—since Fiore's death. Those gray eyes, usually so hard and focused, were reddened and swollen. Her cheeks were stained with dried tears.
“I still feel responsible,” the summoner murmured. “It was my mission to ensure that the ship and its crew did not fall into the enemy's hands. To make sure everyone came back alive and well.”
“Is that what it is?” Celica demanded, whirling around suddenly, glaring daggers at Lutecia. “You're upset that you didn't complete your mission? She's dead! She's dead and... and...” Celica's voice trailed off into quiet sobs.
Lutecia said nothing, waiting for the other woman to let it out. The summoner knew from hard experience that such feelings, contained within the soul, were like a poison for the psyche. They could be just as deadly as the real thing.
“She's dead,” Celica said in a desolate tone, “and she loved me. I didn't even know... she never told me before... before she...”
What Lutecia did next surprised even her. She leaned forward and embraced the grieving woman tightly, hugging her close, smoothing her hair and wiping her tears away. Celica turned her head and looked into Lutecia's eyes, sniffling once and smiling slightly.
“Thanks, Jennings—er, I suppose that isn't your real name, is it?”
Lutecia chuckled softly. “It's just an alias. My real name is Lutecia Alphine.”
“Nice to meet you, Alphine,” Celica said, smiling through the tears. “What did you want to talk to me about that's so important, anyway?”
Lutecia said, without preamble, “I work for a little-known agency attached to the Bureau, the Naval Special Intelligence Service. I hold the rank of lieutenant in the and the title of Special Agent, Field Division. The agency specializes in 'black ops,' intelligence-gathering and securing the Bureau's technological assets.
“Due to your actions during the Shiva Incident, as it's being termed, you've been offered a promotion and reassignment to NSIS. I volunteered to be the one to tell you about it.”
“A promotion? Reassignment?”
“The Bureau values your skills highly,” Lutecia explained, handing Celica a sealed reassignment order. Celica broke the seal with her fingernail and withdrew the sheaf of papers within, scanning over their contents slowly, trying to prod her fuzzy mind into digesting the information.
“General Hayate Yagami and the Director of NSIS, Admiral Chrono Harlaown, have recommended that you be promoted to Commander and transferred to NSIS as an operations system analyst.”
“I... I don't know,” Celica said after a long moment, setting the papers down on her workstation.
“It's a lot to take in all at once, I know,” Lutecia replied, hugging Celica closer, smoothing her disheveled hair again. “Especially after the loss you just suffered. But I think that you'd be a natural fit within the agency. You can do a lot more good for the Bureau and the people of Midchilda there than you can on the Shiva. It's a lot more responsibility, sure... but...”
“I... all right, Alphine,” Celica murmured. “You can return to Admiral Harlaown and tell him that I accept the promotion and reassignment.”
Lutecia nodded and stepped back, releasing the taller woman from the embrace. The summoner's stance straightened and she snapped to attention, saluting Celica smartly.
“Understood, Commander,” Lutecia said in an official tone, but her eyes twinkled with mischief. “I will return to Admiral Harlaown with your answer.”
“Very good,” Celica replied in the same official tone, barely able to keep a smile from spreading across her face. “That will be all, Lieutenant. Dismissed.”
“Yes, ma'am!”
Spoiler for author's notes:
Long notes are long.
Well, there you have it. That's how Lutecia and Celica first met, and how Celica got into the Shadows. Hoo boy, this prequel chapter was a furious storm of keyboard-clacking. I wrote all of this in about seven hours total, spread over three days.
I was actually pretty sad to kill Fiore off. I really liked her character, the idea of a little tiny girl being a melee powerhouse. Character death is a great way to force other characters to develop, though, so she was doomed from the start! Because of Fiore's death, Celica is bitter, sardonic and cynical.
Yeah, Fiore is thirteen. Celica is eighteen. This sounds familiar, doesn't it? *coughViCia* Except Vivio isn't dead, so I guess the similarities end there, and Celica won't be waiting five years for Fiore to be legal... =(
We finally get to see what Celica's Barrier Jacket looks like! I realized that I never actually described it in false light. So I did it here. Yes, she does have a Badass Longcoat. The overall design was based on the PROCEED girls suits from SoltyRei, whom Celica is a shout-out to in general:
a) Her name, taken from Celica Yayoi (who is also voiced by Yukari Tamura).
b) Her occupation as a computer nerd, taken from Accela Warrick.
c) Her overall demeanor and appearance (and the design of her Barrier Jacket), taken from Integra Martel. Plus, Overclock.
Another interesting bit: I bet you noticed that Celica didn't actually kill anyone except Fulton, and that was revenge, plain and simple. Not killing is unusual for the modern-day (0088) Celica we all know and love, but this was a younger Celica at age 18, still full of the Bureau's heroism doctrine, not yet embittered by seven years in NSIS.
Fulton's character and Device were kind of a spur of the moment thing. He's unusual for a Mid-style mage in being primarily melee, but I didn't want to overwhelm the fic with too many Belkan practitioners.
So I designed Fulton—and Silencer, which is a Storage Device, around the idea of being a mage who kills mages—hence the magic-dispelling strike. Fulton doesn't have many attacks—just [Striker Shot], a mid-range attack specifically designed to penetrate Barrier Jackets, a charged melee attack he never used, plus the usual defensive powers and [Flash Move].
The N23 “magic steroid” wasn't just a plot device. It will come up again, possibly in an Abraham Stele-centric shortfic!
Okay, enough blathering for now. I should be working on Chapter 6!
Dezo pretty much pointed out the issues, so for me, I'm just going to say I liked it a lot. It was nice to see Celica's background, and how she was before she joined the NSIS and became the cynical, slightly bitter woman we see now; I have a sneaking idea that Fiore's death also played a role in that.....
On Fiore herself, I liked her a lot; I knew she was either going to get killed or be revealed as a traitor since she isn't around in false light, but I have to say it was very painful to actually see her die. The real twist of the knife was her admitting to Celica she loved her before she died.... always a heartbreaker for me.
... Also, I lied a bit.
Spoiler for tiny little detail:
Yeah, if this is pre-Miranda's death, then she should definitely be around, either actively as Lutecia's partner or as someone she reports to once the mission is finished. Granted, you could probably hand wave it by saying she was on a solo mission (and I know it's my own fault she's not involved, since I haven't given her much development), but it's still a little odd for Lutecia to go solo when Miranda is still alive and kicking.
When our eyes met that day in the courtyard, I felt as if the Kaiser herself had ordained our meeting.
I cannot explain it precisely, but there was something that radiated from her eyes at that time, something far different than the looks of respect and admiration that the others around me would give. Yes, there was just more to it, like a sort of longing, almost as if she had found exactly what she was looking for.
The serene smile she sent my way is something forever burned in my memory. I rushed through my business that day, trying to get free even a moment earlier so I could search for the woman who had captivated me so easily.
She was still waiting there in the garden, and when I approached she beamed at me once again.
“I knew you’d come.” She said wistfully.
Yes, I am certain some unknown power was behind our meeting. What followed were days of unbelievable bliss. To think an older man such as myself would garner the affections of one so youthful and beautiful… It was almost too good to be true.
But it was true, she assured me. She told me of how since joining the church, she highly respected and looked up to me, in awe of my lofty position as keeper of the Shroud of the Saint King. It had interested her, so she begun to secretly watch me and eventually fell for me.
I could not help but melt as she leaned in close to me, pressing her young, supple body against mine as she whispered words of love in my ear.
It did not take long for me to begin to desire her as well. I may be a pious man, but before such words of devotion from her I could not help but crumble. Nothing in the Saint Church doctrine prohibits affairs between priests and nuns, so there wasn’t anything unfaithful in it.
Occasionally we would come close to giving in to our carnal desires, but she would always pull back.
“I want to wait for it to be really special.” She would always tell me. I respected her wishes, so we never went that far. It mattered not, for our bond was all that was needed to sate me.
However, one day she appeared to be out of sorts. When I questioned her, she admitted that she was growing tired of the constrained life of the cloth and wished to end her service. She wanted me to leave with her, and I would have gladly done so if not for my position being what it was. I could not be so easily let go, so she suggested we just run away together then.
I was shocked at the idea, but when I thought of it I knew the answer was obvious: the life of a fugitive would be fine so long as I was with her.
So I agreed to it, but she made another comment that appalled me.
“Say… If we were to take the Shroud of the Saint King with us, we could sell it and get enough money to life happily together for the rest of our lives!”
Running away was one thing, but now she was speaking of sacrilege! I vehemently refused the idea, asking if she was mad. I apologised immediately upon seeing her hurt expression.
“Please…” She pleaded, leaning up against me and cupping my cheek with her hand. She looked into my eyes longingly before saying “Do it for us.”
I relented then and did as she asked. Using my clearance I easily made my way into the chamber which held the shroud and I took it, making haste to our rendezvous point. All the while I was telling myself that it was for the sake of my beloved and our wonderful future together.
We met up and made our way outside the church walls. We ran quickly and it appeared as though we would get away with our crime. Suddenly, she stopped and turned to me.
“Let me hold on to it.” She asked, gesturing to the cloth I carried. Nodding, I handed it to her. “So this is…” She muttered, examining the ancient fabric before folding it up and tucking it under her arm.
“Quickly, we must go!” I urged her, but she just smiled at me.
“I must thank you for all that you’ve done.” She said. “And now your usefulness has ended.”
“W-What?” I gasped in shock. What was she…?
“IS: Liar’s Mask.”
I felt something sharp and hot pierce into my belly. The sensation was nearly secondary to the shock I felt seeing her lovely brown hair lighten in colour and her habit dissolving into some sort of blue jump suit.
The burning in my gut spread horizontally and I heard something fall with a sickening squish. Wondering why I suddenly felt so much lighter, I peered down to see what seemed to be intestines piled onto the ground. Following the organs, I noticed they climbed up into the slash across my stomach…
Oh, so those are my intestines…
I made to voice my disbelief, but I only choked on the blood that had flowed out of my mouth.
“It’s been fun.” She said, running her tongue across the crimson stained claws that adorned her fingers. “But this is where we part ways.”
The last thing my mind registered was her bladed hand swinging at my neck.
When our eyes met that day in the courtyard, I felt as if the Kaiser herself had ordained our meeting.
I cannot explain it precisely, but there was something that radiated from her eyes at that time, something far different than the looks of respect and admiration that the others around me would give. Yes, there was just more to it, like a sort of longing, almost as if she had found exactly what she was looking for.
The serene smile she sent my way is something forever burned in my memory. I rushed through my business that day, trying to get free even a moment earlier so I could search for the woman who had captivated me so easily.
She was still waiting there in the garden, and when I approached she beamed at me once again.
“I knew you’d come.” She said wistfully.
Yes, I am certain some unknown power was behind our meeting. What followed were days of unbelievable bliss. To think an older man such as myself would garner the affections of one so youthful and beautiful… It was almost too good to be true.
But it was true, she assured me. She told me of how since joining the church, she highly respected and looked up to me, in awe of my lofty position as keeper of the Shroud of the Saint King. It had interested her, so she begun to secretly watch me and eventually fell for me.
I could not help but melt as she leaned in close to me, pressing her young, supple body against mine as she whispered words of love in my ear.
It did not take long for me to begin to desire her as well. I may be a pious man, but before such words of devotion from her I could not help but crumble. Nothing in the Saint Church doctrine prohibits affairs between priests and nuns, so there wasn’t anything unfaithful in it.
Occasionally we would come close to giving in to our carnal desires, but she would always pull back.
“I want to wait for it to be really special.” She would always tell me. I respected her wishes, so we never went that far. It mattered not, for our bond was all that was needed to sate me.
However, one day she appeared to be out of sorts. When I questioned her, she admitted that she was growing tired of the constrained life of the cloth and wished to end her service. She wanted me to leave with her, and I would have gladly done so if not for my position being what it was. I could not be so easily let go, so she suggested we just run away together then.
I was shocked at the idea, but when I thought of it I knew the answer was obvious: the life of a fugitive would be fine so long as I was with her.
So I agreed to it, but she made another comment that appalled me.
“Say… If we were to take the Shroud of the Saint King with us, we could sell it and get enough money to life happily together for the rest of our lives!”
Running away was one thing, but now she was speaking of sacrilege! I vehemently refused the idea, asking if she was mad. I apologised immediately upon seeing her hurt expression.
“Please…” She pleaded, leaning up against me and cupping my cheek with her hand. She looked into my eyes longingly before saying “Do it for us.”
I relented then and did as she asked. Using my clearance I easily made my way into the chamber which held the shroud and I took it, making haste to our rendezvous point. All the while I was telling myself that it was for the sake of my beloved and our wonderful future together.
We met up and made our way outside the church walls. We ran quickly and it appeared as though we would get away with our crime. Suddenly, she stopped and turned to me.
“Let me hold on to it.” She asked, gesturing to the cloth I carried. Nodding, I handed it to her. “So this is…” She muttered, examining the ancient fabric before folding it up and tucking it under her arm.
“Quickly, we must go!” I urged her, but she just smiled at me.
“I must thank you for all that you’ve done.” She said. “And now your usefulness has ended.”
“W-What?” I gasped in shock. What was she…?
“IS: Liar’s Mask.”
I felt something sharp and hot pierce into my belly. The sensation was nearly secondary to the shock I felt seeing her lovely brown hair lighten in colour and her habit dissolving into some sort of blue jump suit.
The burning in my gut spread horizontally and I heard something fall with a sickening squish. Wondering why I suddenly felt so much lighter, I peered down to see what seemed to be intestines piled onto the ground. Following the organs, I noticed they climbed up into the slash across my stomach…
Oh, so those are my intestines…
I made to voice my disbelief, but I only choked on the blood that had flowed out of my mouth.
“It’s been fun.” She said, running her tongue across the crimson stained claws that adorned her fingers. “But this is where we part ways.”
The last thing my mind registered was her bladed hand swinging at my neck.
Ouch. So that's what happened to that guy, huh?
...
Good job.
__________________
My fics Due to certain things, I am not here, find me over on TFF.
When our eyes met that day in the courtyard, I felt as if the Kaiser herself had ordained our meeting.
I cannot explain it precisely, but there was something that radiated from her eyes at that time, something far different than the looks of respect and admiration that the others around me would give. Yes, there was just more to it, like a sort of longing, almost as if she had found exactly what she was looking for.
The serene smile she sent my way is something forever burned in my memory. I rushed through my business that day, trying to get free even a moment earlier so I could search for the woman who had captivated me so easily.
She was still waiting there in the garden, and when I approached she beamed at me once again.
“I knew you’d come.” She said wistfully.
Yes, I am certain some unknown power was behind our meeting. What followed were days of unbelievable bliss. To think an older man such as myself would garner the affections of one so youthful and beautiful… It was almost too good to be true.
But it was true, she assured me. She told me of how since joining the church, she highly respected and looked up to me, in awe of my lofty position as keeper of the Shroud of the Saint King. It had interested her, so she begun to secretly watch me and eventually fell for me.
I could not help but melt as she leaned in close to me, pressing her young, supple body against mine as she whispered words of love in my ear.
It did not take long for me to begin to desire her as well. I may be a pious man, but before such words of devotion from her I could not help but crumble. Nothing in the Saint Church doctrine prohibits affairs between priests and nuns, so there wasn’t anything unfaithful in it.
Occasionally we would come close to giving in to our carnal desires, but she would always pull back.
“I want to wait for it to be really special.” She would always tell me. I respected her wishes, so we never went that far. It mattered not, for our bond was all that was needed to sate me.
However, one day she appeared to be out of sorts. When I questioned her, she admitted that she was growing tired of the constrained life of the cloth and wished to end her service. She wanted me to leave with her, and I would have gladly done so if not for my position being what it was. I could not be so easily let go, so she suggested we just run away together then.
I was shocked at the idea, but when I thought of it I knew the answer was obvious: the life of a fugitive would be fine so long as I was with her.
So I agreed to it, but she made another comment that appalled me.
“Say… If we were to take the Shroud of the Saint King with us, we could sell it and get enough money to life happily together for the rest of our lives!”
Running away was one thing, but now she was speaking of sacrilege! I vehemently refused the idea, asking if she was mad. I apologised immediately upon seeing her hurt expression.
“Please…” She pleaded, leaning up against me and cupping my cheek with her hand. She looked into my eyes longingly before saying “Do it for us.”
I relented then and did as she asked. Using my clearance I easily made my way into the chamber which held the shroud and I took it, making haste to our rendezvous point. All the while I was telling myself that it was for the sake of my beloved and our wonderful future together.
We met up and made our way outside the church walls. We ran quickly and it appeared as though we would get away with our crime. Suddenly, she stopped and turned to me.
“Let me hold on to it.” She asked, gesturing to the cloth I carried. Nodding, I handed it to her. “So this is…” She muttered, examining the ancient fabric before folding it up and tucking it under her arm.
“Quickly, we must go!” I urged her, but she just smiled at me.
“I must thank you for all that you’ve done.” She said. “And now your usefulness has ended.”
“W-What?” I gasped in shock. What was she…?
“IS: Liar’s Mask.”
I felt something sharp and hot pierce into my belly. The sensation was nearly secondary to the shock I felt seeing her lovely brown hair lighten in colour and her habit dissolving into some sort of blue jump suit.
The burning in my gut spread horizontally and I heard something fall with a sickening squish. Wondering why I suddenly felt so much lighter, I peered down to see what seemed to be intestines piled onto the ground. Following the organs, I noticed they climbed up into the slash across my stomach…
Oh, so those are my intestines…
I made to voice my disbelief, but I only choked on the blood that had flowed out of my mouth.
“It’s been fun.” She said, running her tongue across the crimson stained claws that adorned her fingers. “But this is where we part ways.”
The last thing my mind registered was her bladed hand swinging at my neck.
Ah! Cool, a Due fic! And with a hint of backstory, too.
Very fun fic! It's really only got one serious flaw, which is that being set in MC0081, it's set in Lutecia's pre-Miranda's-death days, which means that her "cool and competent professional" demeanor is a bit off, and the "unofficially the director's right hand" status is definitely off. (Her regret over Fiore's death is also very much in-character for post-Miranda Lutecia, when she started to become somewhat obsessive about carrying out her missions with the absolute minimum of collateral damage).
I was afraid you'd say that. RB pretty much told me the same thing over AIM when she first read it. The problem is I was unsure as to when exactly Miranda died.
Furthermore I didn't want to write Miranda alive because I have no idea how to write her. I'm already wrestling with this very same problem for false light Chapter 6; Victor is not well fleshed out, but I'm a little better on that one because RB gave me the green-light to make shit up.
Quote:
Originally Posted by DezoPenguin
I'd suggest a date of MC0083, which would put things in nicely for Lutecia's characterization (including seeing Celica and Fiore, perhaps, make Lutecia more likely to act in "Never Confessed") and make Tizona seem a little more "cutting edge" (I'm assuming that he actually gets regular upgrades as Magitech Marches On, unless MGLN exists within the zone of standard sci-fi technology stasis), except that would immediately screw up Celica's history (okay, personally I'd find 20 and 15 a little less......than 18 and 13 for Celica and Fiore's ages, but that's got nothing to do with the background) and the extent of her NSIS service.
I'm not sure how many chapters of false light I'd have to edit to change Celica's length of time in NSIS from seven to five years... but it shouldn't be terribly difficult.
Seems like the easiest fix.
Quote:
Originally Posted by DezoPenguin
Let's see...the following paragraph uses "blaster barrel" twice in the same sentence, so some rewriting of that sentence would be good.
Oops. I'll fix that also. I wrote this damn thing so fast I'm sure there's more errors I made and missed!
Quote:
Originally Posted by DezoPenguin
Spoiler for Spoilers referenced in complimentary review comments:
That pretty much covers the negativity. Otherwise--excellent story, nice set-up, gripping plot, sufficiently vicious villain, Fiore got enough screen time to make her death mean something and the fact that it happened wasn't terminally obvious. I had a lot of fun with the casual details that the story was sprinkled with that expand on the universe/setting. And the N23 issue actually does something nice--it gives Fulton sufficient raw power to be a threat, while explaining why he isn't able to keep up with Overclocked Celica despite supposedly being an S+ close-combat mage; he's not really an S+ close-combat mage, but a lower-ranked mage artificially jacked into S+ range, kind of like Overclock, actually, and he's not so much a "close-combat expert" as he is a "person who uses close combat as his preferred style and has one nice trick thanks to his Device." One gets the sense, for example, that Fate would wipe the floor with him in eight seconds. Three, maybe, if Silencer wouldn't negate Bardiche's energy blade on contact and she didn't get stuck having to fight in Assault Form.
Thank you for your kind words. The N23 issue will be investigated in further detail through a one-shot featuring Abraham Stele as the main character and protagonist. I actually intend to write a few fics with him as the main character, because he's just too badass for me to not develop further.
And yeah, Fate woulda pasted him pretty quick.
Quote:
Originally Posted by DezoPenguin
Hm...oh, and heteronormative assumptions are heteronormative; I never realized Celica was bi. Now I feel embarrassed.
Celica was originally afflicted with the common disease of Midchildan females (lesbianism!) until RadiantBeam decided to throw Victor at her. We had some discussions, she wrote some shorts, and I decided to just run with it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by DezoPenguin
Oh, and for a quick reference, I've been trying to compil a timeline of Shadowverse stories, to get them more or less in order.
false light is actually 0088, not 0087.
Quote:
Originally Posted by RadiantBeam
Dezo pretty much pointed out the issues, so for me, I'm just going to say I liked it a lot. It was nice to see Celica's background, and how she was before she joined the NSIS and became the cynical, slightly bitter woman we see now; I have a sneaking idea that Fiore's death also played a role in that.....
On Fiore herself, I liked her a lot; I knew she was either going to get killed or be revealed as a traitor since she isn't around in false light, but I have to say it was very painful to actually see her die. The real twist of the knife was her admitting to Celica she loved her before she died.... always a heartbreaker for me.
... Also, I lied a bit.
Spoiler for tiny little detail:
Yeah, if this is pre-Miranda's death, then she should definitely be around, either actively as Lutecia's partner or as someone she reports to once the mission is finished. Granted, you could probably hand wave it by saying she was on a solo mission (and I know it's my own fault she's not involved, since I haven't given her much development), but it's still a little odd for Lutecia to go solo when Miranda is still alive and kicking.
Glad you liked it.
Since you and Dezo have both been saying it, I'm going to go through false light and The Call, adjusting the dates so that the Shiva incident happened in 0083 and Celica was recruited then, giving her only five years in NSIS, rather than seven.
It would actually make a little more sense this way--without Miranda in the picture, but her death being recent enough to still leave an open wound--Lutecia would likely be more friendly with Celica, better explaining their Back-to-Back Badasses tendencies in false light.
As Mr. Nitpicky said it would also make the implied Celica/Fiore romance less squicky. (I actually didn't even plan on shipping them like that, it just sort of happened on its own! I'm not kidding!)
I think Due making the "steal it to sell it" suggestion is a little too blatantly direct for a good infiltrator like her. Saying things like that tend to ring alarm bells with the marks. Even if the poor priest was gulible enough to fall for it, she'd avoid doing so out of experience.
At the least, she'd string him along with talk of life beyond the Church until he came up with the idea of stealing the Shroud by himself.
Another approach would be to convince him he was "borrowing" it for a "higher purpose," but that doesn't fit his melanchonic expression on taking the Shroud in the flashback.
I think Due making the "steal it to sell it" suggestion is a little too blatantly direct for a good infiltrator like her. Saying things like that tend to ring alarm bells with the marks. Even if the poor priest was gulible enough to fall for it, she'd avoid doing so out of experience.
At the least, she'd string him along with talk of life beyond the Church until he came up with the idea of stealing the Shroud by himself.
Another approach would be to convince him he was "borrowing" it for a "higher purpose," but that doesn't fit his melanchonic expression on taking the Shroud in the flashback.
Hmm... Okay, how does this look?
Spoiler for edited part:
However, one day she appeared to be out of sorts. When I questioned her, she admitted that she was growing tired of the constrained life of the cloth and wished to end her service. She wanted me to leave with her, and I would have gladly done so if not for my position being what it was. I could not be so easily let go, so she suggested we just run away together then.
I was shocked at the idea, but when I thought of it I knew the answer was obvious: the life of a fugitive would be fine so long as I was with her, so I agreed to it.
“Oh we’ll be so happy together for the rest of our lives!” She sighed whimsically. “We can get a nice house out in the country, one big enough that our children can run around freely. We can watch them frolic in the yard from the terrace next to the garden…”
She continued on, painting a blissful image I couldn’t wait to see become reality.
“But…” She suddenly turned melancholic. “All that would take a lot of money which we don’t have much of… And it’s not like we can afford to take much with us either… What can we do?”
She brought up a valid point… If only we had something of value we could exchange for a hefty sum, but I did not have access to such a…
The image of the holy garment flashed through my mind.
“I guess maybe we should give up after all…” She looked so downcast.
“We could take the shroud!” I said impulsively, unable to bear that look on her face. I regretted my words immediately, though.
Running away was one thing, but now I was speaking of sacrilege!
“Really?!” Her eyes now shone with hope. “You would do that?”
“Forget I said that!” I stated, spinning away from her. “It would be madness!” To even consider such a thing, what was I thinking? To commit that horrible sin…
“Please…” She pleaded, rounding on me then leaning up against me and cupping my cheek with her hand. She looked into my eyes longingly before saying “Do it for us.”
I relented then, telling her I would do it. It was for the sake of our love, so surely the Kaiser would understand! Would she not be pleased to know that her legacy had given two lovers happiness?
Using my clearance I easily made my way into the chamber which held the shroud and I hesitated momentarily before taking it, making haste to our rendezvous point. All the while I was telling myself that it was for the sake of my beloved and our wonderful future together.
You got the right idea, lets go over the specifics.
Quote:
However, one day she appeared to be out of sorts. When I questioned her, she admitted that she was growing tired of the constrained life of the cloth and wished to end her service.
It wouldn't be so abrupt. She'd appear to gradually be less eager to stay with the church, until one day, the priest would be inclined to ask why does she stay on despite her lack of enthusiasm? You can guess the answer, right?
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so she suggested we just run away together then.
She'd be more indirect, like, "It's a pity we can't just run away from all this."
Quote:
“Oh we’ll be so happy together for the rest of our lives!” She sighed whimsically. “We can get a nice house out in the country, one big enough that our children can run around freely. We can watch them frolic in the yard from the terrace next to the garden…”
It wouldn't come out all at once. Just a bit at a time. Today, the house. The next day, the yard, etc... Gradually assembling that picture of a beautiful life together in his head and he should be smart enough to figure out it's going to cost serious money by himself.
Quote:
“All that would take a lot of money which we don’t have much of… And it’s not like we can afford to take much with us either… What can we do?”
She'd be more subtle. Yes, it would take a lot of money, which they can't get. So she'd be willing to settle for a small apartment instead. But she'd say it with an expression that hints that she prefers the big house of course.
Quote:
“Really?!” Her eyes now shone with hope. “You would do that?”
“Forget I said that!” I stated, spinning away from her. “It would be madness!”
“Please…” “Do it for us.”
She would be the one to try to convince him not to steal the Shroud. But she'd do it in such a way that it'd convince him that that's the right thing to do.
If you think this is a delicate act to tempt him into stealing the Shroud instead of running away without it, you are exactly right. It would take months to establish her cover that she loves him, wants to leave the church and have a good life together. She'd use that time to find the right buttons to push to get him to steal the Shroud for her. You don't have time to write the whole process, so you'll have to summarize the seduction.
Alright, so I did say I was doing something like this. It's rough and mostly unedited, but it should be fine. I decided use an original character to help establish the situation, but for most people, they'll recognize the OC. For those who don't, you can check this link.
Anyhoo, here it is, so enj--dear lord I am being eaten.
*Tempest drops this as he flails and runs away*
Spoiler for First Side Dish: Aftermath:
After numerous battles and strange times, the Dark Fragments Incident has been successfully
resolved. Though defeated, the three girls known as the Materials did not fade away like the
dark fragments of the Wolkenritter, Hayate Yagami, Nanoha Takamachi, and Fate Testarossa.
Instead, the “clones” had remained in the present world, confused, lost, and alone.
As the Materials awaited their fate upon the Asura, the rest of the crew gathered at the
Harlaown residence. Here, they rested and ate, recharging tired minds and bodies after a great
battle. The chatter remained lighthearted, if a little sad, though the addition of Reinforce more
than made up for it all. After the meal, with the plates cleared away, Chrono Harlaown began
his debriefing. It covered what everyone already knew and had discussed over the meal, only
from an official standpoint. Near the end, however, the topic changed to the most pressing
matters…
“Now then, on the subject of the Materials,” the Enforcer opened a manila folder, the
photographs of the three Materials girls on top of a small stack of documents. “Though we’ve
defeated them, they did not fade away like the dark fragment versions of our comrades we
encountered. Rather, they were only knocked unconscious, allowing us to apprehend them and
place them under arrest. As it stands, they are healthy and without injuries, but without the Book
of Darkness’s defense program guiding them, they seem very bewildered.”
“What are you going to do with them, Chrono-kun?” Nanoha asked.
“That, I do not know yet. Honestly, their case is not clear-cut, and they are not directly at fault
for their actions,” Chrono shook his head, laughing internally at the irony of it all. Really, after
coming to this planet, nothing was ever clear-cut anymore. “They have no purpose
anymore, so it’s not like we can just release them. We will likely take them back to Mid-Childa
and have them placed under the protection of the Bureau. From there, we can figure out what to
do with them.”
“But the best case scenario is that they’re simply rehabilitated and released. The Bureau may not
see it that way,” Yuuno spoke up. Though he was not directly involved with the incident, he was
vital in erecting distortion barriers and supporting from the sidelines. As such, he was a witness
to all that had happened. “They’re clones of three of the strongest mages of our generation, with
no guardian in which to support them. There may be talks of just putting them to combat, or
worse.”
“That’s not right!” Hayate suddenly spoke up, almost leaping out of her seat. Fortunately, her
knights were there to keep her calm. “They’re… the Materials are not bad people. Why are
they being treated like sub-human?!”
“They have a right to live too,” Fate’s voice was ever soft but firm. “Why can’t we just let them
live freely?”
Dammit, ferretboy, why did you have to mention that? The boy cursed mentally. Yes, he
too was aware of the less-than-ideal conditions the Materials may be subjected to, but he had
wanted to avoid the charged emotions that would stem from such possibilities. Instead, he just
shook his head. “None of this has actually happened, so do not worry. However, Yuuno is right.
If all goes well, then those three will come out of this with a slap on the wrist. But, considering
what and who they are, HQ may not be so inclined to let them free.”
“Why is that?”
“Legally, they have no guardian. If they become wards of the state, the government becomes
their guardian. That means what they say, goes. If we can get them adopted, then the Bureau
higher-ups can be tied-down with regulations. Not only that, but some may not recognize them
as full human beings, since they were brought to life by the defense program. As such, they may
not get the same rights as a human,” he looked around the table, hiding a grimace at all the sad
faces. “I want this as much as any of you. I know that they deserve a shot at normal life,
but our options are limited.”
“So… if we get someone to adopt them, then they’ll be fine?” Nanoha asked, her head tilted to
one side.
Chrono nodded slowly, his words the same way, “Theoretically…”
“Then we just need to find someone to do that!”
“I wish it were that simple…”
“Is it possible for Lindy-san to take them in?”
The Enforcer shook his head in negative. “That would be terribly selfish of us. Mother—Admiral
Harlaown has power, but she pulled a lot of strings just to ease up Testarossa and Yagami’s
cases. There was a lot of fallout in the aftermath of the Precia and Book of Darkness incidents.
She’d lose credibility if she keeps doing this.”
And the annoying part is that she would take the fall if it meant getting her way. Hell, they would
all take the fall if they could.
The entire table fell into silence, a heavy air hanging around them. At this rate, those girls may as
well be lost...
“I can take them.”
“Eh?” The group turned to look at, not a person sitting at the table, but the man leaning against
the kitchen counter.
“I said I can take them. I am employed, of sound mind and body, and I am over the minimum
age to adopt. They will have a reason to stay here, with people they know, and become
adjusted to living a normal life.”
“Yeah! That’s right! Kei Bin can do it!” Already Nanoha was feeling better, hopeful.
“Adoption isn’t that easy, Kevin,” Chrono leaned back into his seat, his arms crossing. “You’re
not even a citizen of this country.”
“I know. But are you really going to wait until they are all officially adopted? From what I’m
hearing, you’d want to stay here and stay together. Unless you’re willing to separate those
three, I doubt it will be a quick process.”
“But if they find a sponsor for them on Mid-Childa, it will make the process easier.”
“You don’t know that.”
“…” Chrono looked deep in thought. “Why are you so adamant in adopting them?”
“Why are you so against it?” the chef countered. “I know I have not been a major part of this,
but even I don’t what these Materials punished for merely existing. Besides, this is the best
chance you got, so why deny it?”
“It’s just that…” the boy seemed hesitant to continue.
“What, that I have ulterior, sinister motives?” Kevin looked on incredulously, pointing at himself.
“I’m a non-magical human. If anything were to happen, I’d be befriended so hard you’d be
picking me up from the moon, and that’s just counting Nanoha blasting me. You’ve known me
for almost a year now, and what happened with your mother was a damn accident.”
“He’s right, Chrono-kun! Kei Bin wouldn’t do anything like that!” the wielder of Raising Heart
was first to jump to her friend’s defense, soon followed by Yuuno and Fate, then Hayate. Soon,
the entire table had rallied for the cause.
“I got it, alright. I’m sorry,” Chrono sighed, letting his shoulders slump. “This is our best chance.
Alright. I’ll see what I can do.”
“That’s all I ask,” the older man nodded, retrieving something from behind the counter. “Now
then, who’s up for some cake?”
A week passed, much to the collective worry of those living on Earth. They had not seen or
heard anything from the Materials, instead only receiving daily updates from Chrono, Amy, or
Lindy. Although proceedings seemed to go as they wanted it to, there was no cause for
celebration yet. Anything could happen to bring everything crashing down.
Nanoha and Fate returned to school, along with Hayate; The Wolkenritter lived their lives with
their beloved meister. Those not around, Chrono, Yuuno, Amy, Lindy, they were working hard.
And Kevin, he worked quietly in the kitchen of the Midoriya. It was hard to keep their minds
busy; they could not ignore that underlying nagging concern. Those three girls, the Materials,
how were they? Were they eating well? Were they comfortable? Scared? Lonely?
It was when Kevin was finally called in that the anxiety ramped up. Rather than meet at the
Harlaown residence, however, the chef was transported to a dimensional craft waiting in orbit.
He had never felt so out of place before, standing in such a clean and almost clinical environment.
The fact that he was in space, likely in a different dimension, made this disorientation even worse.
Still, that feeling was nothing compared to the butterflies in his stomach as he sat alone in a
waiting room, his fingers drumming on a table restlessly. Almost thirty minutes had passed since
his arrival.
The door opened. Through it stepped out Chrono Harlaown, followed by his assistant Amy
Limietta and the Admiral Harlaown. Kevin stood in response.
“Enforcer, Ensign,” he nodded in greeting to them. “Admiral.”
“Hello, Kevin. I trust your trip here was uneventful?” Lindy was first to greet him back as they
settled onto one side of the table. Kevin sat down across from them.
“Unexpected would be the better term. I was rather surprised to be suddenly teleported onto
the ship without prior warning. I only got the call, then a very disorienting flash of light, and I’m
on this ship,”
“Oh really…” the green-haired woman turned to look at her son. “You should’ve been given
advance notice.”
Kevin shrugged. “It’s no big deal. What’s the news?”
“Well…”
…
Chrono looked at him in the eye.
…
…
“The adoption has been…”
…
…
…
“Approved. All that is needed is your signatures and registration into your family records. Since
you are not originally of Ordered Space, I’ve taken the liberty of establishing one for you.”
The cook let out a long breath, his body visibly slumping in relief. “You punk. What the hell
was that long pause for? Are you trying to give me gray hairs already?”
“Relax. It was just a joke.”
“You’re a terrible joker, Chrono,” Kevin gave the boy a withering glare, though it quickly
softened. “Thank you. May I see them?”
“Of course. But I must warn you, there is one catch.”
Kevin’s eyes narrowed; he did not like the sound of it, “Catch?”
“Yes. I had to accept a condition in order to let this through.”
“Is it bad?”
“Not at all. The stipulation is that an individual that is not the guardian will be assigned to three
girls as an instructor and rehabilitation specialist to help them readjust to a normal lifestyle. And,
thanks to these two,” he gestured to the women, who flashed V-signs in response. “I will be the
one selecting this hapless soul. I’ll let you know later, but trust me in that I have the perfect
person.”
“Hmm…” the Earthling sighed, his hands coming to rest on his hips. “Does this person have to
live with me?”
“No. The specialist will be visiting you at your new apartment.”
“That’s fine then. Feeding for four is my limit—wait what?”
“A new apartment has been appropriated for you, a place more suitable for raising three girls,”
Chrono explained, not missing a beat. “Using the subsidy that the Bureau will be supplying as
part of your adoption, this place will be your new home. It’s in a similar complex as the one we
reside in, and it’s very close to us.”
“Ahh, you didn’t have to do that,” Kevin had a mild grimace. “Really, I can handle this.”
“Nonsense. The apartment is bigger, with more space, and close enough for us to help you in
case something happens.”
“Still, I just…” Kevin sighed again. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. Where I’m living now is no
good. At least I’ll still be local.”
“Glad you could see it our way. Besides, it will provide a good place for everyone to meet now
and then.”
“Okay, so I get a new place to live. Now, how about those girls?”
“Right. Amy, could you go get them?”
“Yes~!” she hummed as she stood and practically dance out in barely contained glee. Barely a
few moments passed before she returned, three girls following. “Kevin, may I introduce Seikou no Senmetsusha, Raijin no Shuugekisha, and Yami Suberu Ou.
Material-S, Material-L, and Material-D, respectively.”
He blinked at their ludicrously long names. Whatever part of his brain that understood Japanese
screamed in agony.
“Why am I always the last to be introduced?!” the girl with short silver hair complained.
The girl first introduced, with short brown hair, was silent.
“Hey. Who’s this old guy?” the girl with blue hair, Material-L, pointed at Kevin.
What have I gotten myself into…?
“This ‘old guy’ is the one adopting the three of you!” Amy answered with a smile.
“I’m twenty six. I’m not that old,” Kevin sighed and stood up. “Nice to meet you all. My name
is Kevin, and I will be adopting you.”
“Uwaaah! He’s tall!” Material-L took a step back.
Indeed, he was nearly twice the height of the girls, and likely the tallest one in the room.
“Hmph. Is he even worthy of taking us into his care? I will not allow a peasant to take in one
such as I,” Material-D crossed her arms and looked away.
“I’m part of the culinary staff in a restaurant. There, I am responsible for the preparation of
meals, snacks, and sweets. Although I am not much, I will do my best to take care of you.”
“Hmm, if you can produce meals fit for a king, then I suppose I can overlook some things. The
food here is absolutely wretched!” Material-D
Material-L, however, seemed disappointed, “A cook? What’s so good about that? Why
couldn’t you be a doctor or something awesome wait did you say sweets? I like sweets.”
Material-S merely stared up at the man, her eyes peering straight into his. An unbreakable stare,
it seemed as if she could see straight into his soul.
“What can you do for us?” were her only words, soft and polite.
Kevin, without breaking eye contact, replied, “I cannot promise you much. I’m just a human, not
a mage like you all, and I work hard to maintain my life. However, I can promise you that I will
not leave you. I will do everything in my power to keep the three of you together, to make sure
none of you are ever lonely again. I will do my best to give you the best quality of life possible,
and, if you’ll let me, we can be a family. You are not alone, not anymore, and never again.”
The girl would say nothing in response, but instead nod, accepting his words.
A quiet cough drew everyone’s attention back to the table, where a cluster of papers were
spread out.
“If I may, we can finalize everything here and get you all back home.”
“Right, right,” Kevin muttered as he took a seat, the three Materials following suit by sitting next
to him. Glancing over the first paper, he realized something, “You all need names.”
“We do have names—” Material-L spoke up.
“No, I mean real names,” the Earthling interrupted, looking over all three of them. “You are
living, breathing, human beings, and you have a right to an identity. Material-L, Material-S,
Material-D, these don’t work. They sound too… artificial. You need real names.”
He looked over at the other side of the table, noting the look of approval from Lindy. Chrono
seemed stone-faced as ever, while Amy looked on all smiles.
A name. A name. What is in a name?
“Material-S?”
“Yes?”
“Shana. For a rose, a flower that can mean many things: gratitude, joy, friendship, silence, virtue,
mystery,” he paused, looking briefly at the gathering. “Unity.”
“Material-L,” she jumped at hearing her being called, her attention suddenly completely on
Kevin. "Lilia, for the lily flower. A pure and passionate soul.”
“Lilia…” the girl whispered, as if trying the name out. It was difficult to hide her smile.
“Material-D,” he looked at the silver-haired girl. “Diana, for a majestic and divine girl.”
“Oh ho ho ho!” she had a hand up to her cheek, “At last! Someone who recognizes my
greatness!”
“Yeah yeah, princess…” Material-L—no, Lilia muttered as she settled back into her seat. “As
if we don’t hear enough of that everyday.”
“Shana, Lilia, and Diana? Not very Japanese,” Chrono commented.
“I’m not Japanese,” Kevin shrugged in response.
“Are these names acceptable?” the boy mage asked, looking at each girl. To his pleasant
surprise, each of them nodded. “Very good then. Now, if you could just fill in these parts…”
Quietly, Amy excused herself from the room. There was no need for her to be there any more,
since Lindy would represent a senior officer while Chrono served as the officer in charge of the
case. She breathed a happy sigh, ever so glad that everything had gone splendidly. With a bit
more paperwork, those three could go on living on their own, free and happy. The officer cadet
could scarcely hide the smile that threatened to split her face, almost skipping her way down to
the bridge. She just had to tell everyone! Granted, the surprise would be spoiled, but such
a sacrifice would have to be made to alleviate the stress that everyone on Earth was still
experiencing.
Yes. Nanoha, Fate, and Hayate would love to hear the good news. Oh, and maybe get a party
going to welcome the girls back!
Yes. Everything was wonderful now.
Oh yeah, TD, would you object if I borrowed your names for the Materials?
Furthermore I didn't want to write Miranda alive because I have no idea how to write her.
And again, that's mainly my fault. Though I've hammered out some specifics for her background and what kind of weapon she used and what type of fighter she was, since I'm thinking of doing a short chapter story focused on when she and Lutecia were first partnered up.
Quote:
Celica was originally afflicted with the common disease of Midchildan females (lesbianism!) until RadiantBeam decided to throw Victor at her. We had some discussions, she wrote some shorts, and I decided to just run with it.
I regret nothing.
Quote:
It would actually make a little more sense this way--without Miranda in the picture, but her death being recent enough to still leave an open wound--Lutecia would likely be more friendly with Celica, better explaining their Back-to-Back Badasses tendencies in false light.
To be honest, if it's recently that Lutecia lost Miranda, the only reason I see her being kind to Celica after that is because Celica herself lost Fiore, so it would be easier to make the connection. Lutecia kind of shut down for a little bit and pushed people away after Miranda died, mostly out of her own guilt and self-hatred.
“Sometimes I wonder how things would have turned out if you had never met me.”
Yuuno looked across the table, a piece of chilli crab halfway to his mouth, and blinked. “That’s… abrupt, Rein. Why do you say… phrase it as ‘you had never met me’? Shouldn’t it be the other way around?”
Reinforce played with her fingers, offhandedly rubbing at her wedding ring. “I’m inconsequential.”
There was no trace of irony or sarcasm in her voice, something that made Yuuno stiffen and slowly put the piece of crab back on its plate. He involuntarily looked down at his own matching band, then back into his wife’s beautiful ruby eyes, sighing as he did so. “I thought we had this worked out with the counsellors by now, dear.”
“Centuries of self-loathing don’t disappear into thin air in just a few years.”
“T-that’s not a good attitude to have,” Yuuno uttered lamely. “Now, please eat.” He scooped up a spoonful of fresh scallop and eased it into Reinforce’s mouth, a gesture that she did not refuse. “We’re not here to mope about the past. We’re here…”
Reinforce stared at her husband, half expecting him to whip out a pair of sunglasses any second now, even though she knew he had none on him. Any second…
“For our honeymoon.”
Reinforce broke down laughing.
“What?” Yuuno asked, confused. “What did I… What did… Eh… Eh, oh no.” He slapped an open hand to his forehead and could not help laughing in embarrassment either.
After she managed to calm down and stop laughing, Reinforce rubbed her tears of mirth dry and said, “Come on, let’s finish up and go. It would have been nice to find out how they make this, but getting the recipes can come later. I need to get you some shades.”
Yuuno chuckled again as he shook his head. Nanoha had suggested that, since she would be going back to visit her family soon, a whirlwind tour of the continent that terminated in Japan would dovetail nicely. She had also been of the opinion that it would be an eye-opener. Though it was an easy mistake to make for an outsider, or gaijin as Nanoha’s native tongue would have it, all the more so for an off-worlder like them, Japan was not the centre of the universe. It would be far too foolish to automatically assume that Japan was representative of the whole Earth.
Thus far, the trip had proven to be most educational. As of the present moment, they were currently in Singapore, a city-state so tiny that it was barely locatable on a world map. This one had been… well, it had been described as a melting pot of cultures, something that was fairly accurate, but it did not really have many standout features. What did stick out most clearly in their minds was this fruit with a green spiky exterior, tasty yellow flesh and a most pungent odour. It was… what was it called again? Oh yes, a durian.
It was on the bus on the way to the next location when Yuuno said, “Maybe I would have been the one to become inconsequential.”
Reinforce raised an eyebrow and turned to look at her husband. “Is this about my question just now?”
Yuuno nodded. “I know it’s not wise to listen to the grapevine, but sometimes it’s just hard to not overhear.” He rested his head against Reinforce’s upper arm. “To hear Ramuta speak, you’d think that the Scaglietti Incident would never have affected me.”
“… What?” Reinforce sounded mortified by the thought. “That’s… impossible.” During the attempted assault on Riot Force Six’s headquarters, Yuuno’s C4I capabilities and Reinforce’s… considerable fire support, along with the contributions of Lilia, Shana and Diana, had torn wide swathes through the mad scientist’s forces and prevented him from carrying out his nefarious goals. After all, while there is always a place for skill, something that Reinforce had benefited greatly in from knowing Yuuno, sometimes what you really need is a FRIENDLY AC130 ABOVE!
Yuuno laughed, although there was a bitter note in it. “It gets better. Supposedly in another two years’ time, I’d have become such a non-entity that I would be unessential to the Library, not even appearing when… when…”
“You’re supposed to be there?” Reinforce finished. She knew Yuuno was not quite the person to insist on his own importance.
Yuuno nodded. “After being forgotten by everyone else, including Nanoha,” he continued despite a sharp, surprised intake of air on Reinforce’s end, “that would be when I would supposedly be disposable enough for… them to get rid of me like they had always been hankering to do but could not while I still had some significance. Their operative would have told me that Chrono had been waiting for me to drop off everyone else’s radar so that no one would miss me. I would have died alone, unremembered, no one in attendance at the wake but the undertaker and a representative of the state.”
Reinforce rubbed her forehead fiercely, as if trying to get rid of a headache. “Some of these people have too much free time to think up wild scenarios. It’s ironic that I spent so much time wishing for my existence to end, failing to see how desolation can itself be the end of us all.” She paused and licked her lower lip slowly. “None of the November-Sissies are following us, are they?”
Yuuno shook his head and ran a hand through Reinforce’s locks reassuringly. “That NIRTScan bit system I deployed upon arrival here hasn’t picked up anything. If Ib Elets or any of those… those…”
“Mike Foxtrots?” Reinforce volunteered, unable to keep a hint of amusement out of her tone at the pilfered Earthling military lingo and what it really stood for.
Yuuno sighed. “Yes, those; if they had tried to portal in we should have known, between the two of us at least.”
Reinforce put an arm around Yuuno’s shoulders and shook her head. “Don’t trouble yourself with an impossible, nonexistent future. I know it must be tr-” She looked up as the bus captain informed them of their stop. “Come, let’s go. It must be troubling that others think so lowly of you. I’ll do my part, but it’ll take time and your own effort; two decades of self-lo-”
Yuuno broke into laughter, took Reinforce’s hand, and together Mr. and Mrs. Scrya got off the bus.
Spoiler for Omake?:
“H-h-h-holy shit! Is… Is that…?”
Reinforce perked up as she overheard an exclamation seemingly directed in her and Yuuno’s direction.
“Eh? Isn’t that Selvaria Bles?” It sounded like an adolescent male.
“No lah, you dummy,” the first one said, “Selvaria doesn’t have those locks of hair sticking out and falling to her left side.”
“Uh, now, uh, uh…” a third said, “there aren’t any cosplay events going on around here now, are there?”
Yuuno caught Reinforce’s eye and stopped in his tracks. “Cosp- Are they talking about us?” He whispered.
Reinforce made an almost imperceptible bob of her head.
“I… didn’t think we look like cosplayers, do we? If we were, wouldn’t we be using our Barrier Jackets?” Yuuno’s voice betrayed his disbelief. Cosplay was not an alien concept to him; Mid-childa had its own visual entertainment industry and naturally there were fanboys and girls who demonstrated their passion in such a manner. He had been to such conventions before a few times and knew there were those who also took after famous mages of the TSAB.
He did not know whether to be disturbed or intrigued by the fact that various female players managed a startling likeness of himself. Nevertheless, it was something that Chrono had not let him ignore.
There was also the niggling fact that, as Admiral (Ret.) Lindy had told them, some Earthlings had come up with an uncomfortably-close-to-the-truth animated work, Empath Girl Tonedeaf Gigaha, which told of the Jewel Seed Incident, the Book of Darkness Incident and the Scaglietti Incident. It had such… oddly endearing names as Gigaha Takahata, Arecksate Airchelon and Destiny Maranello.
“No…” the first said again, “gee, I don’t know... You have to admit that they got the faces very correct.”
“So, you going to ask them? Or do I have to?” the third asked.
“Fine, genius, I’ll do it.” There were sounds of approaching footsteps. “Um, excuse me, sir, ma’am?”
Reinforce and Yuuno turned around to regard the speaker, who was not a particularly distinctive-looking teen.
“May… May we,” he pointed to two other young men, “take a photo with the both of you?”
Reinforce and Yuuno exchanged looks before saying, “Sure, why not?”
The young man gestured to his friends before calling out to a young lady whose hitherto silence had led to her not being noticed, “Em, you not joining in?”
“I’ll just take the photo for you!” The young lady replied. “You… You get me a shot with Zach Quinto and we’re even!”
After the photo was taken, the young men went away commenting on the “accuracy” of the apparently highly-dedicated cosplayers, leaving Reinforce and Yuuno looking at each other in confusion.
Spoiler for Author's Notes:
It still feels like something is missing.
I don't know what rhymes with "Tonedeaf". If you have any suggestions...
And again, that's mainly my fault. Though I've hammered out some specifics for her background and what kind of weapon she used and what type of fighter she was, since I'm thinking of doing a short chapter story focused on when she and Lutecia were first partnered up.
Please do this, because I would like to write more pre-false light fics involving the "main" Shadows--Lutecia, Miranda, Celica, Victor and Abraham Stele.
My next non-false light Shadowsverse fic will likely be Abraham Stele's origin fic--back before the Book of Darkness Incident, when Gil Graham was still Director!
I'm not throwing Fiore away, either, even though she's dead now. More plotbunnies than I had ever imagined are gnawing on me now!
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Originally Posted by RadiantBeam
I regret nothing.
Of course you don't.
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Originally Posted by RadiantBeam
To be honest, if it's recently that Lutecia lost Miranda, the only reason I see her being kind to Celica after that is because Celica herself lost Fiore, so it would be easier to make the connection. Lutecia kind of shut down for a little bit and pushed people away after Miranda died, mostly out of her own guilt and self-hatred.
This is what I had planned, after Dezo suggested changing the dates, actually. The comparison is obvious, only flipped--Lutecia lost her "mentor," Celica lost her "student."
Please do this, because I would like to write more pre-false light fics involving the "main" Shadows--Lutecia, Miranda, Celica, Victor and Abraham Stele.
It's definitely in the works, I'll say that much. I still need to handle the exact length and what happens, but I have a very clear idea of where it goes and how it ends in terms of the relationship between Miranda and Lutecia.
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I'm not throwing Fiore away, either, even though she's dead now. More plotbunnies than I had ever imagined are gnawing on me now!
I sense much Victor angst in the future.... from yours truly, of course.
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Of course you don't.
I got you to ship it, too, if I remember right.
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This is what I had planned, after Dezo suggested changing the dates, actually. The comparison is obvious, only flipped--Lutecia lost her "mentor," Celica lost her "student."
Ironically, you know, when you think about it, it's even more ironic because in this case, Lutecia ended up being the "mentor" of the relationship while Celica was the "student"; so, in essence, they were both in the same roles as the people they had lost!
You got the right idea, lets go over the specifics.
It wouldn't be so abrupt. She'd appear to gradually be less eager to stay with the church, until one day, the priest would be inclined to ask why does she stay on despite her lack of enthusiasm? You can guess the answer, right?
She'd be more indirect, like, "It's a pity we can't just run away from all this."
It wouldn't come out all at once. Just a bit at a time. Today, the house. The next day, the yard, etc... Gradually assembling that picture of a beautiful life together in his head and he should be smart enough to figure out it's going to cost serious money by himself.
She'd be more subtle. Yes, it would take a lot of money, which they can't get. So she'd be willing to settle for a small apartment instead. But she'd say it with an expression that hints that she prefers the big house of course.
She would be the one to try to convince him not to steal the Shroud. But she'd do it in such a way that it'd convince him that that's the right thing to do.
If you think this is a delicate act to tempt him into stealing the Shroud instead of running away without it, you are exactly right. It would take months to establish her cover that she loves him, wants to leave the church and have a good life together. She'd use that time to find the right buttons to push to get him to steal the Shroud for her. You don't have time to write the whole process, so you'll have to summarize the seduction.
Hm... I've been thinking of these points all day, and I get what you're saying about her being more indirect, but after going back and watching the scene in question (really should have done that before I wrote the thing instead of relying on memory ), well... looks like she's being quite direct to me.
With the water works and all, perhaps she's feeding him some sob story about her mother needing expensive surgery or something...
lmao, since I put the three completed chapters of Altered Course up on fanfiction.net, I've already got some people sensing danger!
and by danger I mean Yuunoha.
I'm going to get so flamed when I start working on that fic again.
Edit: the reviewer said that if I really wanted to make season one "darker" I should kill or maim Yuuno. (I guess they missed Yuuno's severe injury in the prologue?)
but after going back and watching the scene in question (really should have done that before I wrote the thing instead of relying on memory ), well... looks like she's being quite direct to me.
The thing is, we don't know how long she had been seducing him and putting the willies on him before that scene. By that scene, she knows he's going to steal it, so she can afford to look happy. Until then, she has to act like she's actually interested in him.
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With the water works and all, perhaps she's feeding him some sob story about her mother needing expensive surgery or something...
Or maybe Daddy put her up as collateral for his gambling debts. You raise a good point. Whatever excuse she uses should be time sensitive as well. It'll make him desperate enough to steal the Shroud because there's no other way to get the money needed in time.
2010-06-15, 19:03
Author
), well... looks like she's being quite direct to me.
