Leave of Absence
- Thread starter Old Iron
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That right there is what I'm going to be making use of. If I don't, then, well... Hayate is likely going to be blowing Rein away the second it won't have a very unfortunate effect on Yuuno. Hayate can be a very kind and loving person, but she also strikes me as the sort you really don't want to cross. For a very different reason than Nanoha.
Namely that Hayate seems more of a... lethal character, despite how forgiving and accepting she is. It's not a pretty sight when you cross Hayate's line.
Yeah, that's bullshit. Time for author magic fixings and explanations.
That's what I'm hoping to achieve. 
Namely that Hayate seems more of a... lethal character, despite how forgiving and accepting she is. It's not a pretty sight when you cross Hayate's line.
Yeah, that's bullshit. Time for author magic fixings and explanations.
Ickarium said:
Now having a payoff based on conflict - which it seems to be what Old Iron is aiming for - can be good.
But if she cared for Reinforce the way she did for the Wolkenritter, then she should have picked up the same values the Wolkenritter did. After all, the Wolkenritter spent the same amount of time with Hayate as Reinforce did up until the time of "A's." This contradiction is creating the faint yet awful stench of authorial fiat, which worries me.
What we do know of the Wolkenritter is despite their picked up values, they were capable of betraying orders to accomplish something they felt was necessary or good. Hayate expressly forbid them from completing the Book of Darkness. They did so anyway to try and save Hayate from her fate. They did what they could to not take lives, but it didn't stop Vita from flying into a rage and trying to murder a 9-year-old out of a slight.
I see no reason as to why Reinforce wouldn't go through with something despicable like what she did if it meant trying to stop the corrupted Automatic Defense Program for good, even if it meant damning herself to Hayate, because the Wolkenritter did the exact same thing.
I see no reason as to why Reinforce wouldn't go through with something despicable like what she did if it meant trying to stop the corrupted Automatic Defense Program for good, even if it meant damning herself to Hayate, because the Wolkenritter did the exact same thing.
I'm with Rising on this. Not to mention that fundamentally, Reinforce is different from the Wolks. The latter remembered the Belkan Era, and if I'm not wrong there was an image depicting them as being involved in the Belkan War. Ergo, that would make them if not former human then based on human. There was no hint like that for Reinforce. So it's likely that it's less "Wolks picking up new values" and more "Wolks picking up values that they may once had".
That might just be me though.
That might just be me though.
Oh, we haven't even gotten into Nanoha and the others' reactions. Imagine Nanoha, finding out what Reinforce did to one of her oldest and closest friends, the one who taught her all she knew about magic and introduced her to a wider world than she ever could have dreamed...she's very forgiving of others when they harm her. But attack her friends, especially one like Yuuno?
Nanoha's reaction will be apocalyptic. The only thing that will keep her from going full Blaster-3 Starlight Breaker on Reinforce is that she's connected to Yuuno. She will not let something like this slide.
Nanoha's reaction will be apocalyptic. The only thing that will keep her from going full Blaster-3 Starlight Breaker on Reinforce is that she's connected to Yuuno. She will not let something like this slide.
I'm also in the camp who believe the Wolkenritter to be transformed human beings from the Ancient Belkan era, with the Will of the Tome of the Night Sky being considerably older, potentially descending from Al Hazard.
I also believe that Nanoha's reaction will, indeed, be hot and hostile. Then again, Hayate isn't going to be much better.
Just imagine CHRONO's reaction. He lost his father to the Book, and now it's returned from the grave AGAIN to claim one of his best (only) friends?
Fate, I imagine, would be less angry and more scared (given how many loved ones she's lost), which makes her just as hostile but more unpredictable than Nanoha.
Poor Zwei is going to be devastated about what "Other Mommy" has done to "Daddy".
The Wolkenritter are going to be less shocked than anyone else (they've seen a LOT of shit), somewhat disappointed that one of their own would do this*, outraged on behalf of a close friend of the family (nearly/honorary family at that)... and somewhat personally frightened that they might not be free of their enslavement after all.
*Actually, the Wolkenritter shouldn't really know Reinforce as a person. They should never have met her, considering that if she were capable of manifesting before the Book begins to rampage, Reinforce would have WARNED people.
It makes more sense that the one who turned the Tome into the Book would just lock Reinforce down entirely.
I also believe that Nanoha's reaction will, indeed, be hot and hostile. Then again, Hayate isn't going to be much better.
Just imagine CHRONO's reaction. He lost his father to the Book, and now it's returned from the grave AGAIN to claim one of his best (only) friends?
Fate, I imagine, would be less angry and more scared (given how many loved ones she's lost), which makes her just as hostile but more unpredictable than Nanoha.
Poor Zwei is going to be devastated about what "Other Mommy" has done to "Daddy".
The Wolkenritter are going to be less shocked than anyone else (they've seen a LOT of shit), somewhat disappointed that one of their own would do this*, outraged on behalf of a close friend of the family (nearly/honorary family at that)... and somewhat personally frightened that they might not be free of their enslavement after all.
*Actually, the Wolkenritter shouldn't really know Reinforce as a person. They should never have met her, considering that if she were capable of manifesting before the Book begins to rampage, Reinforce would have WARNED people.
It makes more sense that the one who turned the Tome into the Book would just lock Reinforce down entirely.
Actually canonically the Wolkenritter have met Reinforce's human manifestation. Vita was kind of a real bitch to her at one point in a sound stage back then. I think they, out of any of the cast, would understand Reinforce's decision. Approval of it doesn't factor in, I doubt they'd like the idea. But I'm certain they'd understand why she'd go to such lengths. Like I said before, they have no room to talk: they've done the same thing.
Why wouldn't it? It's already been established that the Book fucks with their memories upon each respawn. It's entirely possible Reinforce has tried to warn them about the Book's flaw but nothing could be done to stop it. We already know what happens when the Master doesn't try and use the magic or what happens if someone other than the Master attempts to tamper with the Book.
There's that but I imagine Reinforce gave up trying to warn/fix the problem of the Book of Darkness after repeated failures. The Wolkenritter would never remember. The only hope was the Master retaking control after the completion, which had never happened. Remember how resigned she was communicating to Hayate in the anime, during the final battle? Saying it was impossible?
As ye wish~
Teaser for next chapter is a go~
Teaser for next chapter is a go~
"I wonder how surprised he'll be~" hummed one Yagami Hayate to herself as she stood at the portal to her boyfriend's domicile. There was a happy smile on her lips and a bag full of groceries in her arms. She hadn't really planned this little dinner, but she found herself unable to resist once she'd found out Yuuno had actually been forced to take the vacation. The fact it had been her hand which had helped force him take it never once gave her pause.
Her smile faltered after receiving no response for a short time and it turned into an unamused pout when that length of time grew even further. Hayate found it slightly strange there was no answer. Unless he was so enthralled by something or otherwise occupied in matters which made answering the door impossible, Yuuno was usually rather prompt. Well, it's not like it would have mattered; given her possession of a key and all. She would have just found it a slight easier to gain entrance with a bit of a hand.
Plus, she did enjoy seeing his shocked face; something Nanoha and even Fate admitted to enjoying as well. A giggle escaped her lips as she set down the groceries on the ground.
After opening up the door and reacquiring her bundle of foodstuffs, Hayate announced herself and strode inside. Not once did she take notice of how parts of the door frame did not seem quite so... in synch with the world. Then again, how would she have been able to tell? The human mind is an amazing thing, for human endeavors.
"Yuuno~ The one and only Hayate-chan has arrived~ And I brought dinner!" The utter lack of response from the deathly silent interior put her ever so slightly on edge. She knew he was home judging by both his car being outside and the keys resting on the peg in the wall by the door. He was adorably predictable like that. "...Yuuno?"
If this was a prank, she wasn't laughing. While she might like pranks a bit more than the next person; though perhaps not nearly as much as Admiral Harlaown, she found the situation a bit more than she was willing to accept as funny. The silence pervading the home was not one from being empty, rather it was uneasy and foreboding. "Yuuno, if you jump out and shout 'boo', I'm not going to be happy." Again, no reply. She set down the groceries by the door and ventured further inside.
The only reasons Hayate could think of for Yuuno not responding would be one of three. One was him being in the shower; but she struck that from her list as she would have heard it running. The second struck from her list was the notion of him being asleep. Even if he had been asleep, the amount of racket she had made would have awoken him. The third option had her reaching for the cross shaped pendant around her neck. The final option was that something was very wrong in one form or another and the possibility of her boyfriend being in no small amount of peril had now been placed on the table.
There were times Hayate wished she didn't have to consider that possibility, but considering the line of work their little circle of friends was involved in and their various upbringings... it was very hard to not take into account. It didn't matter just how well she knew he was capable of taking care of himself; there was never a guarantee. The same ran true for anyone.
"Yuuno? If you're there, please say something." Again, her cautious and worried plea received no reply.
When she was about to round a corner and enter the kitchen area, a pulse of something... unnatural passed over her body. Were she put put it into words; Hayate would have described it as walking through a wall of extremely dense, humid air. Only here, the air was frigid and dark. She shivered and pulled the golden cross from her neck. Something was very, very wrong here.
Taking on a much more steeled demeanor with Schwertkreuz in hand, she pressed forward into the kitchen. The moment she rounded the corner, her vision was met with an incomprehensible darkness. It was so confounding that it made her freeze in her tracks and caused incredible pain whenever she so much as thought about deciphering it. All she could do was call out to it in a voice filled with fear and defiance. "Who's there? Show yourself!"
Her demands were not complied with.
Rather... One could interpret them as being met with hostility.
The darkness seemed to solidify in some manner which would have made Newton weep as another wave of the heavy, icy air washed over the brunette. Hayate did not have more than a moment's warning before her body was bound up in the solid shadow. It constricted her so tightly that no amount of force she exerted could produce any give from the otherworldly bindings. She narrowed her eyes angrily and shouted against her captor. "Let me go. Let me go, now! I don't know what you are or what you're doing here, but you are really making me angry!" And if this... thing was the reason why Yuuno seemed to be missing...
Fury would be the most mundane description of her reaction.
Rather than release her or tighten it's hold, the entity appeared to shift in another display of mind breaking movement. Hayate had only the ability to loose the beginnings of a terrified scream as she was pulled inside nearly faster than she could comprehend. Blackness filled her vision and then, there was nothing.
"-at were you thinking!?"
"-abilize for days. This was the be-"
"This could be the worst course of act-"
"-ther have her call for an investigation and risk far more than her ire?"
"That's not the only thing I'm angry about!"
Hayate's vision slowly began returning to her as the voices pounded away on her poor cranium. She blinked and attempted to stand up, only to find that her limbs felt like they were made of lead. She craned her neck towards the sound of the voices in an effort to see who was making such a racket. When she did, she couldn't help but call out. "Y-Yuuno...?" It was more of a pitiful mewl at this moment, much to her irritation.
Thankfully for her sanity, the figures stopped going back and forth on one another and one of them ran over to her side. Hayate felt her head spin as she was picked up off of whatever it was she'd been lying on and was wrapped up in the embrace of a very familiar person. "Yuuno? Yuuno, it is you!" She gave a relieved smile as she tried to return the embrace, but sadly found herself unable to do so. "I was really worried when you didn't respond. I thought something had happened."
Yuuno shook his head grimly. "Something... did happen." He intentionally did not look back at the silver haired being still standing some distance away from them. Reinforce said she would explain everything to Hayate, but he could not even begin to guess where she would start.
Hayate blinked again as she recalled the bizarre events that had put her here. "That's right!" She glanced around the now alien landscape that seemed to overlay itself on top of Yuuno's home. "Where are we? There was that black mass that..." She paused with a wince before continuing, "...makes my head hurt trying to think about it. Then I was... eaten?"
"Eaten. Transported. Shifted... I have a feeling any of those could work. This place is... not natural." Certainly not by their standards at any length. He sighed and looked down at Hayate's concerned face, her presence alone helping him cope with the madness now encompassing his life far better than one might imagine. "Are you okay?"
She smiled and nodded. "A little stiff, but I'm okay." As if to prove her point she raised her hand and tried to tickle her boyfriend. It was a stiff, mechanical motion, but at least she could move the bloody thing again. Being in such a state brought back memories of being bound to her wheelchair so many years ago. Not... unpleasant, but nothing she'd really like to relive at the moment. "Who else is here with us? I couldn't really see who it was." The suddenly furious and not at all comforting expression on Yuuno's face made her more than nervous.
"She'll explain that herself, as promised." He looked back over to where Reinforce was standing and made a beckoning gesture with his head.
Hayate tried to crane her neck to see who could have produced such an expression from Yuuno, but found herself unable to do so. As the off-tone sound of footsteps grew closer, she grew more and more anxious. And when the person finally came into view, there were no words that could be spoken. The brunette had gone mute in shock upon seeing something her mind and heart could not truly comprehend.
The silver haired woman fidgeted slightly under Hayate's gaze before remembering that she had to reintroduce herself. "It has been... a long time, my Mistress Hayate."
Her smile faltered after receiving no response for a short time and it turned into an unamused pout when that length of time grew even further. Hayate found it slightly strange there was no answer. Unless he was so enthralled by something or otherwise occupied in matters which made answering the door impossible, Yuuno was usually rather prompt. Well, it's not like it would have mattered; given her possession of a key and all. She would have just found it a slight easier to gain entrance with a bit of a hand.
Plus, she did enjoy seeing his shocked face; something Nanoha and even Fate admitted to enjoying as well. A giggle escaped her lips as she set down the groceries on the ground.
After opening up the door and reacquiring her bundle of foodstuffs, Hayate announced herself and strode inside. Not once did she take notice of how parts of the door frame did not seem quite so... in synch with the world. Then again, how would she have been able to tell? The human mind is an amazing thing, for human endeavors.
"Yuuno~ The one and only Hayate-chan has arrived~ And I brought dinner!" The utter lack of response from the deathly silent interior put her ever so slightly on edge. She knew he was home judging by both his car being outside and the keys resting on the peg in the wall by the door. He was adorably predictable like that. "...Yuuno?"
If this was a prank, she wasn't laughing. While she might like pranks a bit more than the next person; though perhaps not nearly as much as Admiral Harlaown, she found the situation a bit more than she was willing to accept as funny. The silence pervading the home was not one from being empty, rather it was uneasy and foreboding. "Yuuno, if you jump out and shout 'boo', I'm not going to be happy." Again, no reply. She set down the groceries by the door and ventured further inside.
The only reasons Hayate could think of for Yuuno not responding would be one of three. One was him being in the shower; but she struck that from her list as she would have heard it running. The second struck from her list was the notion of him being asleep. Even if he had been asleep, the amount of racket she had made would have awoken him. The third option had her reaching for the cross shaped pendant around her neck. The final option was that something was very wrong in one form or another and the possibility of her boyfriend being in no small amount of peril had now been placed on the table.
There were times Hayate wished she didn't have to consider that possibility, but considering the line of work their little circle of friends was involved in and their various upbringings... it was very hard to not take into account. It didn't matter just how well she knew he was capable of taking care of himself; there was never a guarantee. The same ran true for anyone.
"Yuuno? If you're there, please say something." Again, her cautious and worried plea received no reply.
When she was about to round a corner and enter the kitchen area, a pulse of something... unnatural passed over her body. Were she put put it into words; Hayate would have described it as walking through a wall of extremely dense, humid air. Only here, the air was frigid and dark. She shivered and pulled the golden cross from her neck. Something was very, very wrong here.
Taking on a much more steeled demeanor with Schwertkreuz in hand, she pressed forward into the kitchen. The moment she rounded the corner, her vision was met with an incomprehensible darkness. It was so confounding that it made her freeze in her tracks and caused incredible pain whenever she so much as thought about deciphering it. All she could do was call out to it in a voice filled with fear and defiance. "Who's there? Show yourself!"
Her demands were not complied with.
Rather... One could interpret them as being met with hostility.
The darkness seemed to solidify in some manner which would have made Newton weep as another wave of the heavy, icy air washed over the brunette. Hayate did not have more than a moment's warning before her body was bound up in the solid shadow. It constricted her so tightly that no amount of force she exerted could produce any give from the otherworldly bindings. She narrowed her eyes angrily and shouted against her captor. "Let me go. Let me go, now! I don't know what you are or what you're doing here, but you are really making me angry!" And if this... thing was the reason why Yuuno seemed to be missing...
Fury would be the most mundane description of her reaction.
Rather than release her or tighten it's hold, the entity appeared to shift in another display of mind breaking movement. Hayate had only the ability to loose the beginnings of a terrified scream as she was pulled inside nearly faster than she could comprehend. Blackness filled her vision and then, there was nothing.
"-at were you thinking!?"
"-abilize for days. This was the be-"
"This could be the worst course of act-"
"-ther have her call for an investigation and risk far more than her ire?"
"That's not the only thing I'm angry about!"
Hayate's vision slowly began returning to her as the voices pounded away on her poor cranium. She blinked and attempted to stand up, only to find that her limbs felt like they were made of lead. She craned her neck towards the sound of the voices in an effort to see who was making such a racket. When she did, she couldn't help but call out. "Y-Yuuno...?" It was more of a pitiful mewl at this moment, much to her irritation.
Thankfully for her sanity, the figures stopped going back and forth on one another and one of them ran over to her side. Hayate felt her head spin as she was picked up off of whatever it was she'd been lying on and was wrapped up in the embrace of a very familiar person. "Yuuno? Yuuno, it is you!" She gave a relieved smile as she tried to return the embrace, but sadly found herself unable to do so. "I was really worried when you didn't respond. I thought something had happened."
Yuuno shook his head grimly. "Something... did happen." He intentionally did not look back at the silver haired being still standing some distance away from them. Reinforce said she would explain everything to Hayate, but he could not even begin to guess where she would start.
Hayate blinked again as she recalled the bizarre events that had put her here. "That's right!" She glanced around the now alien landscape that seemed to overlay itself on top of Yuuno's home. "Where are we? There was that black mass that..." She paused with a wince before continuing, "...makes my head hurt trying to think about it. Then I was... eaten?"
"Eaten. Transported. Shifted... I have a feeling any of those could work. This place is... not natural." Certainly not by their standards at any length. He sighed and looked down at Hayate's concerned face, her presence alone helping him cope with the madness now encompassing his life far better than one might imagine. "Are you okay?"
She smiled and nodded. "A little stiff, but I'm okay." As if to prove her point she raised her hand and tried to tickle her boyfriend. It was a stiff, mechanical motion, but at least she could move the bloody thing again. Being in such a state brought back memories of being bound to her wheelchair so many years ago. Not... unpleasant, but nothing she'd really like to relive at the moment. "Who else is here with us? I couldn't really see who it was." The suddenly furious and not at all comforting expression on Yuuno's face made her more than nervous.
"She'll explain that herself, as promised." He looked back over to where Reinforce was standing and made a beckoning gesture with his head.
Hayate tried to crane her neck to see who could have produced such an expression from Yuuno, but found herself unable to do so. As the off-tone sound of footsteps grew closer, she grew more and more anxious. And when the person finally came into view, there were no words that could be spoken. The brunette had gone mute in shock upon seeing something her mind and heart could not truly comprehend.
The silver haired woman fidgeted slightly under Hayate's gaze before remembering that she had to reintroduce herself. "It has been... a long time, my Mistress Hayate."
