Oh, I wouldn't be that creeped out if a cute girl like yourself worshiped me. Though I guess it'd vary on the degree of creepiness since there's a grand scale for this kind of thing.
Ah, I gotcha... If anything, I was gonna cross-examine you for some intel. Because there's a lot of things that I'd want to know about this world.
[His face looks unusually serious whenever he says this. If everyone was made of biodata, then it meant that there had to be have been a record of thoughts, feelings, ideals... It would've been everything that he could've gotten his hands on.]
[ ... she shudders at the idea of being cross-examined. She's already been on trial twice, a third time would not be something she's looking forward to. But he might have just said it as an expression, so it's okay??? ]
What do you want to know? [ Her smile is welcoming, as if one word didn't remind her of anything bad. ] Though maybe we shouldn't talk about CERES here. There are so many people who could be listening in on us.
[... A 'sword'. He remembered that Kaga called herself a 'ship' and she certainly did not look like one. That just makes Hiro look a little troubled from hearing that.]
The last time I checked... Swords don't have arms, legs, eyes, hair and the whole shebang for a human body. Are you sure that you aren't roleplaying a little too hard here?
Nice to meetcha, Naoki! I can already tell that you're a pretty strong guy.
[A mix of his supernatural senses lightly going off and a gut feeling that this person was a survivor like himself. Hiro wasn't sure what kind of experiences Naoki had gotten through, but he carried a certain 'smell'.]
Are there other people like you around here? I'm kinda curious about that... [In a place like this, Hiro knew that he couldn't be the only one who had powers beyond a normal human.]
[ well, he doesn't want to come off as emotionally obtuse or anything??? this guy doesn't seem that terrible, okay. ]
Well, you're a lot nicer than you seem.
[ yeah, he just worded his compliment like an inadvertent insult, go ahead and sue him over it. ]
Hm ... we should probably start with getting better security around here, then? Or people who go through the letters first? It might be hard to tackle them all at once due to the quantity, though.
Oh, no problem! Though I guess my glorious "Pet the Cute Bunny" plan needed some more adjustments.
[Which means he hasn't given up... If not now, then someday, he'd get her to pet a bunny. With that, he'll place the bunny back in his lap as he gently strokes its fur.]
So do you have any favorite animals? Every girl needs to have this kind of thing.
[But not valiant enough if she doesn't actually pet it... That sad moment when she's not even sure how to answer his simple question though. Thinking about your favorite animal wasn't a luxury she could afford in the Matou life!!]
Favorite animals? Hm... None in particular, I think.
[Whenever she mentioned that an entire holiday had flew him by, Hiro couldn't help and look completely agape. There was one huge reason why, but he'd get to that soon.]
Wait-- Did you say Christmas?! It was seriously Christmas here!? [Did that mean that time flowed different here?! It wasn't unbelievable, yet...] I don't remember it being winter before coming here. I think it was around late spring or early summer?
[At least that was how things were in the human world. For Hiro, he knew that time might have flowed different back up in the Akasha Stratum. But he still mentally felt more comfortable rolling on human time.]
Um... Is this a trick question? I'll have you know that I'm more of a lover than a fighter. [But really, he was just downplaying his abilities. Hiro could fight gud with the best of them.]
Though if you're still pissed, I can afford to take another punch or two. I'd take that over you throwing chairs at me.
[ ......... admittedly she is still pissed, but she'll leave it at just the one punch with a small sigh. more lover than a fighter.... as he just put his hand in a tiger's mouth.
really. ]
I don't make a habit of throwing chairs at people. So long as you don't pull something that makes me do it again, I'll leave it at that. [ pretend to lose your hand again and milla swears to god-- ] You're honestly the weirdest person I've met today.
So you're a leader, huh? I know how it feels to lead and be responsible over a team. And trust me... It can get stressful sometimes. But it's definitely worth going through all the hardships.
[It took three worlds for everyone to properly get along, after all. If there was one thing Hiro loved about humanity, it was the fact that they could change for the better.]
Nah, it wasn't really that bad! Just a little awkward since I almost kicked him in the head. [He laughs at what seems to be a fond memory before he gives Hiro a curious look. Apparently moods tend to come in extremes with this kid.]
They are? That jacket's so cute with the ears that I was sure somebody must have brought it extra for the shoot!
That's right! Would you believed that I summoned him through my cellphone?
[Considering how carefree that Hiro sounded, it would've easily passed one of his jokes. But this was far from a joke as unbelievable as it sounded. With an aside smirk, he just continued on speaking...]
The two of us are bounded by a contract. Not necessary a contract made outta paper, but... More of a spiritual kind.
[ He totally would have thought it was the lamest joke he ever heard if he had still been back home, but he's in this place now. He knows how weird stuff gets here, so he accepts the explanation without even doing as much as batting an eyelash at it, really.
Not that it makes him look a lot happier about it, but, you know.. ]
Like in an anime.
[ Or videogame, Heung Soo. Close enough. But just the point that he's trying to make is that no one in the real world summons zoo animals through cellphones, okay. ]
[Meanwhile, Hiro's whistling innocently as Nanoha is giving Aramisaki that look. She was also familiar with that face as Hiro did it himself on occasions to keep her in line.]
G-Grk... No White Devils here! Just me and that flea brained mutt are the only devils around here...!
Me not Mutt. Me Tiger.
Looks like you guys are getting along well! Heh... Okay, let's see what we've got for the rewards!
[Wait a second. Hiro grabs Ruby's shoulder to pull her back along with him as a swarm of tinier spiders starting to crawl out from the corpse of the bigger one. And now, they're making their way towards the two of them.]
Oh, man... Don't tell that thing was pregnant! I can't babysit these things!
Whaaaaat? That's not supposed to happen! This is weird and kind of gross!
[Either way, even as he drags her, she lifts her scythe and fires a sniper shot at one of them. It knocks it back, but also probably knocks Hiro and Ruby back.
[Hiro had just finished off the other knight, but his eyes widen whenever the last one appears. With the wind surrounded around him, he couldn't help and smirk at Naoki's assist. Then he'll pick up one of the spare swords that were lying around.]
Thanks a lot! I'm ending this now!
[Charging the sword with Agi magic, the blade glows a fiery red and Hiro runs to slice the last knight in half!]
KAGEYAMA SLASH!!
[He was proud of his awesome move and attack name to boot. And with that, the last knight will fall!]
[Hey, he's happy to be the support role! He's even grinning a bit as he watches Hiro, watching that blade start to glow. Oh, interesting. Naoki can't do that.
--he's never tried, but he's pretty sure he'd just bust up a weapon if he did.]
Ohhhhh. [APPLAUSE APPLAUSE I LIVE FOR THE APPLAUSE ie he's applauding
Pixie is sighing, though, darting back to Naoki. Is that cool? Ho---nestly...] Sure it is, it was a Kageyama Slash.
[What awaits them at the top of the stairs happens to be a coliseum with an eight headed Hydra waiting for them in the center. A normal person would've been screaming in fear, but Hiro was screaming in joy.]
Whoooooooa! Look at this thing! I thought you'd only read about these in Greek myths!
You seem excited, kid. I suppose you're not ordinary enough to get scared to the likes of this.
[It reminds Lancer of his brave youthful self too. This kid might have the same edge as Connla. The virtual crowds around the coliseum cheer them up, and the Hydra itself is roaring so menacingly that it could break an ordinary human ears. Lancer is an expert monster exterminator so a piece of Hydra shouldn't pose a problem.
[This was taking him back to his conversations with Miyako. What was a human? What was a monster? In the past, the line between human and monster was pretty clear for him. But after going through Polaris and Canopus' trials? He's seen the most human of people become violent monsters and the most demonic of demons become more human than some could ever dream to be. Those events have changed his perception of the world, but it didn't mean that he was going to lose hope in it.]
Mary... Let me ask you a question.
[His hands shift over to her face as he gently holds her cheeks and pulls her eyes up to meet his. Once again, he had an uncharacteristically serious expression his face.]
A piece of trash falls on the ground. One person doesn't see it, the other sees it but doesn't pick it up. Now who do you think is the better person?
The one who didn't see, or the one who chose not to?
[ Mary very nearly flinches, as though she's half-expecting him to pinch her cheeks. When he doesn't, when he lifts her face up, she's noticeably still reluctant to meet his eyes-- but she does it anyway. Her eyes, at least, aren't glowing red anymore.
The question surprises her more than anything, and she'd normally just brush it off as being kind of stupid because why are they talking about trash-- but Hiro doesn't usually look this serious without a good reason. ]
The one... that didn't see it at all?
But you don't know that they wouldn't do the same thing if they did...
[On the other end of the spectrum, Hiro had also recognized that voice. Thankfully, he didn't mistaken it for Yamato this time! Even if there was that instinctive urge to do that... Pulling his face up, Hiro takes proper note to Miyako is in a hospital gown and being the teenager boy that he is... He was quietly appreciating the sight. (They'd be more vocal rejoicing whenever Miyako wasn't present and double the rejoicing if Daichi were around).
He'll quickly stumbling up and wave his hands around in a little silly fashion. NO BREAKS ON THE YASUDA TRAIN]
N-No, no! I'm fine! Totally fine! Um... Didn't expect to see you here, Miyako!
[If there was a DBZ scouter detecting Awkward Levels, it'd be shattering to piece right now.]
[She's extremely self-conscious right now, and just the fact that Hiro can see her while she's...less than dignified is pretty damn awful. It's a good thing that he does get up quickly, because if he did linger on her any longer, then that concern would be replaced with anger pretty quickly.
Luckily for him, Secret Garden 2.0: Special Miyako Edition is not going to end up with him having a broken face. Beyond what broken face the door gave him. She'll slowly get up as soon as he gets up, doing her damnedest NOT HAVE ANY UNFORTUNATE SLIPS cry]
I-I cannot say I was expecting to see you here either. I would not have opened the door so forcefully if I had known you were there. [This is almost too awkward for Hotsuin dignity to handle.] Ah, Hiro, if you do not mind, could I ask you to part with your coat? I am in need of more appropriate apparel.
[That was one thing he always liked about Saiduq. Socially awkward as the star alien was... Hiro felt like he was always honest about how he felt with people. Whenever Saiduq wipes away Hiro's tears, he couldn't help and feel a little embarrassed that a friend was seeing him close to tears. But he's still smiling sincerely as he knew Saiduq had his back like everyone else.]
I might be sitting in the throne now, but I don't plan on stopping my choices from there.
[The homolust writes itself.]
[Living meant making choices, after all. And for Hiro... Doing that was what felt human and alive in his case. It was something that the other Administrators couldn't comprehend as they lacked human hearts. Frankly, he only had half of an idea of what it meant to be a proper Administrator... But thankfully, Saiduq would be there to give him a few pointers along the way.]
I'm still new to the Admin gig, but please take good care of me. Humanity won't come to an end as long as I'm around.
Haha...I've no doubt you will make a fine administrator. The finest one of all, even.
[The amount of experience Saiduq has of being an administrator in this timeline is little, but whatever he has might come in handy. At the very least, he knows the workings of the Astrolabe and the Administrative Authority more than Hiro does, which is always nice to have as a guide.]
I only regret that I will not be able to see your rule, if our data is to be restored to our respective timelines.
[Due to the whole 'alternate timelines' thing...although technically with the power of the Astrolabe and no Canopus to worry about, having alternate versions of a being (such as the Hotsuin twins) would be allowed in the universe's system, which means he could theoretically hop into Hiro's administrator route instead of supposedly disappearing in Yamato's route...
But it just wouldn't be right to exist alongside another version of himself, to Saiduq. Miyako and Yamato were significantly different existences, so they each had the right to exist, but having Saiduq and Saiduq wouldn't do. Since he and Miyako were products of the Administrator system, it's only right that they would have to disappear for it to be eradicated completely in all routes.
Plus, then he'll never get that cool surfboard going admin route.]
[This... this is very concerning. It was concerning enough that even Hiro was starting to get creeped out. He leans over to see practically nothing asides water before putting a hand on Nanoha's shoulder.]
Um, listen... If you've got a problem, then I don't mind if-- [Then before he knew it. He manages to look down to see the reflection down in lake. There was a cute brunette-ish girl with heterochromia and a very hot blonde woman along with her...]
[Hiro is still holding his hand in place as the white flames fade and they're going to replaced with green wisps of wind. He thought about burning it at first, but he'll switch over to something a little more flashy for aerodynamics. He could make small talk and plan out attacks for multi-tasking... It wasn't anything new for him.]
Well, no! It's complete small fry. [Said matter-of-factly and the monster looks annoyed. Small fry? This little shit.]
But if you don't look happy, then your audience won't find a reason to be! Unless we're aiming for a boke-tsukkomi duo here.
[There were veins popping on its head. Are they going to fight him or what?!]
[ Genos notices the shift from flame to wind but doesn't say anything yet. They were already having about one thing and the other can wait until after they settled this first. Whatever this was. ]
Audience? [ The poor monster neglected, ignored, and hungry... Clearly neither one of the two were going to be fighting him any time soon. Not while they were having a conversation, but honestly the monster should see it as a blessing given how quickly it would all go down when it did. ]
I didn't realize we were entertaining anyone here. [ Though if they were it'd make sense why everything was happening as it were. ] I thought that we were simply playing a game of sorts.
[Oh, she was surprisingly more smarter than she looked! Hiro thankfully doesn't voice that opinion and keeps it to himself. Most people are usually super confused before coming here, so it looked like she adjusted to everything slightly.]
You've got that right. Sometimes, ViViD is a super fun place! Then there's other times where it's a serious pain in the ass.
[And considering that she was a guest, Hiro figured that he could be a good host. He could be a jerk sometimes... But not always.]
Ummm... Do you want hot chocolate or something? I can brew some up for you, Miss Breaking And Entering.
I'd take the other levels that aren't dumps. Or swamps.....
[She's about to agree to the offer of hot chocolate before he mentions 'breaking and entering'. Which is probably when part of her might question if they've given their names, but mostly, she's indignant.]
What? You're the one who walked in on me in the bathroom!
[Sorry Adolf. At this point, he's built an bizarre immunity to scary glares. Either way, he's just smiling up at him like they're just talking about the weather. Though that line makes him snicker since how many times has he heard that one before?]
I've got a question! If you're not so fun, then why am I having fun? [BALL'S IN YOUR COURT.]
[ HIRO IS TOO POWERFUL. Adolf actually stares at him, neutrally uncomprehending, and he keeps that look for approximately 3 seconds before he eases into something close to bemusement. ]
...You're having fun at my expense, then.
[ He doesn't mean that, though, and snorts softly under his breath before turning to one of the food booths. ] Do you make it a habit to approach everyone who looks like they don't want to be wherever they are?
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