estoria | White Devil Rising [Open]

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White Devil Rising [Open]

Who: Nanoha

zenryokuzenkai & You!
When: 7th January / 20th May
Where: Ceres Game Center
What: Nanoha's blowing off some steam
Rating/Warning: Mild fantasy violence

Nanoha had two major hobbies that she indulged in when away from friends and family. The first was flying, inadvisable within city limits, (and there was no known way out of the city,) and really not the same without an open sky. The second was mock battles: most of the excitement of real battles without disturbing the peace! When she was a military instructor on Mid-childa, putting assorted rookies through the wringer was quite fortunately part of her job, but here it was just a game. Quite the game, but still just a game. A way to relieve stress, and there was no stress like having all your family and friends presumed dead, and being partly responsible for putting everything ever back together.

“Divine...” Raising Heart announced, a pink sphere of energy forming at the tip of the staff, pointed at the wave of creepy crawlies before it, the theme of this stage looking to be a bugpocalypse of some kind. Two cartridges were loaded into the device, shells falling a long way to the ground as the flying mage quickly charged her attack.

“BUSTER!” Nanoha and Raising Heart finished in unison, blasting a huge hole through enemy lines, a strong opener that would set the tone for the rest of the level. She was on something of a hot streak, winning several games in a row convincingly, as she dove into each match with near abandon, blasting her way through most enemies like a hot knife through butter.

The match eventually comes to a close, and the streak is defended as Nanoha shakes off the headgear, sweat falling freely from her brow. Could she have won with a little less excess? Probably, but winning was hardly the point. She was really here to cause damage in a safe environment, indulging in one of the few joys she had left.

“Hey, are you just here to watch, or will you be joining in the next match?”

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On a scale of one to boned, Inaba Himeko felt pretty boned at the moment, gulping anxiously before catching the ViViD headset. While it was true that she felt very wary around people she barely knew, the other girl didn't seem to be showing any enmity, so she thought that it would be alright for the time being. If anything did happen, she would force herself out by any means necessary. She's been studying on the technology of this world so she shouldn't have any problems with this.

"Fine, fine," she replied with a sigh, tossing her jet black hair with only the slightest hint of indifference. Of course, she could always wait until the other girl put on her headset and just sneak out; it wasn't as if she knew her name, but she didn't want to be making any dangerous enemies, either. This was the better choice, she thought to herself. Hopefully she won't have any regrets as she slipped on the familiar headset to reenter the virtual world known as ViViD.

"Excellent, you're here!" Nanoha smiled at the girl as she loaded into the world of ViViD. Not that she ever doubted that she would be, of course, that would ruin the fun, and what else would you be at a game center for if not fun? Besides, even if she was reluctant, that surely could not last past the actual experience!

"Raising Heart, if you'd please?" She kissed the gem that was usually hung around her neck gently, donning her Barrier Jacket and transforming the gem into a mage's staff in a bright flash of light.

"Oh, before I forget, I'm Takamachi Nanoha! What's your name?"

Inaba Himeko generally didn't use ViViD for fun unless she was being overly competitive. It was one of her ways to train, considering the fact that she actually had to learn self defense in the event that anything dangerous happened to her, or someone she truly cared about. Although having fun every once in a while, regardless of how unsettling this place truly was. . . well, just thinking about it brought a shudder to her spine.

But when the older woman introduced herself, she politely bowed in return, as was the usual greeting. "Inaba Himeko, nice to meet you." But she should probably warn her something first- "I prefer going by Inaba."

"Eeeeh? Himeko's a cute name though... But well, if you insist, Inaba!" Nanoha smiled. The exchange of names was an important ritual to her, and it had been since childhood. 'Himeko' was still cuter though - who could dislike princesses? Except apparently the little princess herself.

"Well then, let's go!" She cheered with a pump of her first. The mage took to the air, doing a single large loop before stopping right beside Inaba, hand extended.

"Take my hand, Inaba, I'll show you something cool."

Edited 2015-05-22 17:49 (UTC)

"It may be cute, but it doesn't suit me." Her answer was rather blunt as she let out a lethargic sigh, throwing Nanoha a rather serious look. Being called by her first name may have been the least of her worries, but it was definitely something that she didn't exactly want to deal with herself. She didn't like being called a princess. Although she knew better now -- having seen princesses that held strength, it still made the young teenage girl uncomfortable hearing it off of people's lips. If she wanted others to call her by first name, she'd let them do so from the get go.

But she wanted to do so on her own terms.

Humming inquisitively, she took the outstretched hand into her own; she assumed that the older girl was planning on showing her what real flying was like, and Inaba herself couldn't help but show some slight interest in it as well. "You better not drop me, if that's what you're planning."

"Eh? You're totally cute, but like I said, if you insist!" Nanoha declared matter of factly, with a shrug.

"Anyway, Free falling is fun, but it's not flying. Hold on tight, and keep your mouth closed while we're moving!" Nanoha scooped up Inaba and kicked off high into the air, cutting through a layer of cloud cover without missing a beat. Air rushed past their faces, and the high-altitude winds tried to knock them off course more than once, but Nanoha held firm, the pink energy wings sprouting from her ankles correcting their angle easily with gentle beats.

Look, a voice sounded right into Inaba's mind as Nanoha slowed down so the ground beneath them went from a blur of colours to a coherent image of vast fields of green - great plains that seemed to go on forever, forests growing wild and tall on either side, and mountain ranges that rose and fell as far as the eye could see.

But it was not just geography that was on display. The enemies that ViViD had spawned for them to fight: giant monsters of all shapes and sizes, mostly great lizards that resembled nothing more than extinct creatures from Earth's prehistory. Even they, so terrifying and dangerous up close, were little more than dots, the largest amongst them merely the size of children's toys at this distance. Most of them had not even noticed the pair so high in the sky, and the few that had could do nothing but howl helplessly at the prey they could never hope to reach.

"Don't you feel free? Liberated, even? For just a while you can leave everything behind. That, to me, is what it means to fly." Nanoha said in her own voice as they slowed to a halt. A barrier spawned at her feet and she let go of Inaba, the wall of magic more than capable of keeping her from falling to her (digital) death.

Totally-- She couldn't help but scrunch her face in sheer frustration of that word. Of course, it's not as if her boyfriend hadn't called her cute before, but when she said the name didn't suit her, it wasn't because of her physical features. It just didn't match her personality. And she didn't want to be seen as someone who's weak. Especially in a place like this, where there's so many people who are stronger than she is. People who have magic. Just the idea of it pisses her off to no end, as someone who's experienced supernatural phenomena.

Anything less than normal isn't something she can accept readily. Yet, she's already accepted it. But even so, she doesn't like it. She doesn't like it at all.

Hearing the voice in her head causes the young girl's eyes to snap open wide in surprise and shock. It's a familiar feeling, hearing a person's voice in her head, but it's also something unwelcome. It reminds her of back home, of sentiment transmission, and that in itself causes a scowl on Inaba's features. But it stays for only the shortest of moments before she looks around her in mid-air. This scenery is truly beautiful; it's something unlike she's ever imagined. But is that because they're flying like this, or is it because they're in ViViD?

She doesn't know for certain.

"I can't say that I do," Inaba replied regretfully in a pained voice that she attempts to mask, giving Nanoha a soft melancholic smile. "Because it doesn't matter where I am or what I'm doing. I can't just leave things behind me so easily."

"Unfortunately there are no open skies in Cerealia, so a simulation is the best I can do. Where I came from, I could take a ferry the uninhabited worlds and just go forever." Nanoha sighed, briefly overcome with nostalgia. There really was just something about open skies that no program could replicate, but no! There was no time to stand around being sad!

"I guess flying free just isn't for you. Everyone has different tastes after all." It was a rather lonely feeling, to share something you love and not have the enthusiasm be reciprocated, but it could not be helped. That was just how life worked, sad as it may be. At least Inaba just said it straight, having someone lie in this case was even worse.

"Still," Nanoha managed to smile regardless, "I promised you something cool. How do you feel about roller coasters, Inaba?"

"I see," Inaba mused to herself quietly as she ran a hand through her hair, mulling things over in her head. Of course, she knew that the virtual world had a definite difference to the reality, but for someone who wasn't used to this type of world-- well, it felt all too real to her. That alone was a scary thought, admittedly, but she kept her mouth shut.

Shrugging her shoulders, she managed, "Well, it's not as if I dislike it. It just doesn't give me the true freedom I'm looking for." As someone who thought things through like she did, to the point of overthinking a situation, it just didn't fit her. No, it wasn't that. It was more that she couldn't see the good in it; the idea of relaxing in this world was difficult.

"Roller coasters?" Raising a brow curiously, she blinked several times. "Well, I can't say I've been on one." There weren't any where she lived, and her parents had never taken her to a place like that.

"There's a first time for everything! We do still need to clear the stage after all!" Nanoha's spirits went up almost instantly, as a devilish scheme was formed. If she really wanted to, it was entirely within her power to bombard the entire stage with Busters until the boss showed up, but that was a pointless drain on her reserves, and entirely less fun that what she had in mind. Now, it was really more of Fate's speciality, but against enemies of this level the different in agility probably would not matter.

"Raising Heart, Strike Flame!" She ordered her Intelligent Device, which simply repeated the spell's name in its cool, feminine monotone before forming a pink energy blade, turning the staff into a spear with a simple spell. Satisfied with the spell, she turned back to Inaba.

"You should hold on tight! I'm going to need my hands to fight with, so climb on!" She suggested, offering a piggy-back ride with all seriousness as a magic circle grew and spun beneath her feet, the imminent casting of a powerful spell obvious even to people who knew nothing of magic.

"Wha-" Wait, seriously? She can't help but be taken aback by those words of hers, eyes growing wide. That's right; they still need to clear the stage. But she wasn't sure if she was referring to going on an actual roller coaster here in this world- which she had qualms about- or rather, she never trusted going on rides in this world. The last time she was at an amusement park, it almost killed her.

Robot Santas were never fun to deal with.

But with no more words to say, the younger girl bit on her lower lip. She has no choice, does she? It's better this way, and she doesn't have to do anything.

This makes her annoyed than anything else, but she keeps her mouth shut and complies, swallowing hard. "I'm not too heavy, am I?" Yeah, this is awkward.

"It's fine, it's fine, I have equipment that's heavier than you!" Nanoha laughed as she shifted her weight experimentally. At least Inaba was flesh and blood, as opposed to the cold metals of the Fortress. She was taller than Nanoha herself, but that minor awkwardness would hardly matter once they started moving.

"ACS Drive!" Nanoha declared, causing massive wings composed of magical energy to sprout on both sides of Raising Heart's spear head. ACS, short for Accelerated Charge System, was very much exactly what it sounded like. It increased Nanoha's speed immensely, and generated a barrier around her so she could crash right through whatever was in her way. It was an unsubtle spell with unsubtle applications - some would even say inelegant, but it did what it had to well.

"Remember, don't open your mouth or you'll bite your tongue! If you have to say anything, just think it really hard and I'll probably hear it!" She shouted just before kicking off into a massive dive, charging at terminal velocity towards the ground. Of course she pulled out before she kissed the dirt for real, but it would have been a close call for anyone who was not an expert in flying.

That was, of course, just the beginning. Spotting their first enemy, a giant T-Rex-esque creature, (giant even by T-rex standards,) Nanoha shifted course after it, pulling up into a slight ascent. Gnashing teeth rapidly drew closer as the mage continued to accelerate, the stomping lizard more than eager to make a snack out of them.

It really was too bad, because its teeth completely failed to penetrate Nanoha's barrier before it was knocked flat on its back by the sheer force of her charge, but it was a good try.

She didn't know if she should consider that an insult or a compliment, honestly. Especially keeping into consideration that equipment weight varied. But that didn't matter much to her, considering that there were more important things to deal with.

But then she just had to say something like that. Inaba wasn't exactly adverse to telepathy, but... ugh. Groaning mentally, she managed with ease: Oi, isn't this a little too fast?!

Because the younger girl most certainly didn't have a lot of grip strength, admittedly.

Eh?! But isn't the point of a roller coaster that it goes fast? Don't worry, I won't let you fall off! And as if on cue, a binding spell appeared around Inaba's weaker arm, strapping it firmly to Nanoha's body. Still, no matter how fast roller coasters were, they probably were not supposed to be approaching the sound barrier.

There's a barrier around us too, so even if you do slip off somehow, you won't fall far. Nanoha nodded, quite pleased with her own work. This was standard procedure for high speed rescue operations, especially when the target was unconscious, and she had reconfigured it for a little bit of fun.

I should have cast the binds from the start, but... Well, it's a little embarrassing to magically tie you to my body. Haha! Nanoha's tone was conversational as she blew through another group of enemies in an exaggerated loop.

But well, it's almost over anyway. I think we're almost at the boss. You could tell by the rumbling of the earth beneath them, and also the dragon stomping its way towards the pair.

It's not a roller coaster if it's this dangerous, dumbass! She scowled, vaguely recalling the carnival death trap as a shiver ran down her spine. She didn't want to remember it. She didn't want to remember it. She didn't want to--

Though she found herself taken aback yet again, her hazy mind that had begun to think of other things for the shortest of seconds before the binding spell appeared. Great, this is exactly why she hated anything that had to do with the supernatural, magic included.

Whatever. Let's get this over with. The faster, the better.

It's really not dangerous at all, though... Compared to Fate's Sonic Move, Nanoha's ACS Driver was both much slower and significantly more defensive. Besides, they were in ViViD, where all dying did was get you booted out of the game, right? So really, it was much safer than even real life roller coasters!

But since you insist, let's just finish the match then. Nanoha decelerated to a halt, a magic circle opening around her feet as the land bound dragon approached. She had just used a big spell and cut her way all around the stage, so the battlefield was saturated with mana. Good enough.

"I'll hit it with my full power, at full throttle!" Nanoha announced to nobody in particular, gathering the magical energy from all throughout the stage. Spent cartridges fell a long way to the ground as she pumped in her own power, charging up the sphere of power she held over her head to truly absurd levels.

"Starlight BREAKER!" There was a flood of pink light and with that, the victory chime.

Even if it wasn't dangerous to that extent, dying was still traumatizing no matter if it was virtual or otherwise. And a real life roller coaster didn't have any trauma attached with it! Swallowing hard as she hitched a breath, she watched in awe and fear (though she tried not to show the fear in her expression) before her eyes widened.

Was that--

Yeah, definitely a move that you would only see in the magical girl genre in anime.

"Phew." Finally, a deep breath out. It was over-- at least, this level was. Even though she didn't do much, at least she would still get the ViViD points for it.

"Ahaha, looks like I messed up!" Nanoha laughed upon returning to reality. For a given value of reality. It really was frustrating to admit that she had utterly failed to impress Inaba, but as far as she could tell that was exactly what happened, and there was no use lying about something like that.

"I hope you'll enjoy the credits, even if the game itself wasn't that great." She heaved a sigh and dropped herself into the nearest chair, a small towel now hanging around her neck. ViViD was almost as tiring as actual fighting, and it looked like her streak was going to go unchallenged for today, as she was just about done.

"But!" The part of Nanoha that really hated losing popped out. "I'm going to impress you properly some day, Inaba-chan!"

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White Devil Rising [Open]

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