Trinity Angles (Discussion Thread)

[Rai Burnout]

Adorable.

[Kieran]

That's what I was hoping for.

*Shakes head* That scene has been bugging me for at least the last two weeks - as with the one with Ai, there's nowhere to put it in-story, since Mirai is past her kitten days (but don't tell her that!), but it was too cute not to write.

[Rai Burnout]

You know, since doing that snippet for Xth Loop. I think I'll start working on that Dumbledore getting the 5th scene. Except it might be Kirei instead of EMIYA.

[Kieran]

. . . That would be something to see, I have to admit.

[Rai Burnout]

If anyone has anything they want to see in the snippet please write it down. The first one should be up within a few days.

[Kieran]

. . . So after reading all the crossovers I have, I bit the proverbial bullet and tried "High School DxD."

Much to my surprise, I didn't shut it off after 10 minutes and throw the disc against the wall - which I'd inferred I might, given how the protagonist some characters are portrayed. In fact, I'm sad to say it isn't the worst anime I've seen when it comes to fanservice, idiot protagonists, and ludicrous powers. (For example, "Naruto" actually ranks worse - at least when it comes to the last two).

Now, of course, I'm wondering just where everyone would slot in; the series already has vampires (daywalkers included), a Holy Grail, a power to generate swords, a power over holy lightning . . . The range of parallels is actually quite surprising.

[Kieran]

?????
One week after Illyria's defeat (possibly)






While waking up had been a surprise, it hadn't taken him long to figure out that what he was experiencing had layers involved that he wasn't seeing. Honestly, he'd been in a Japanese school, and no one had seen it as odd - that was enough of a clue.

There was no sign of Takara or her family, nothing from Ilyasviel - hell, even Shirou wasn't around, and he'd have been glad to see him, by now. (And considering that the guy had tried to kill him, that was saying something about how lonely he was feeling. He'd even half-hoped that Rin, mistress of the Second Magic, would've found him. Heck, at this point, he'd have taken Zelretch, and everything he knew about the man said that even thinking about that possibility was something that should be filed under "SPECTACULARLY BAD IDEAS."

Lacking any of those options, he'd followed the trail of breadcrumbs to a "Marionette," and a set of instructions that bore an unsettling resemblance to a video game tutorial - and since they did, he was fully ready for the defeated "Marionette" to spring up and attack him.

Unfortunately, he wasn't a guardian entity of the Holy Grail, empowered by the souls of five Epic Spirits. Nor was he was a pseudo-Epic Spirit with access to the prana of an untrained magus with an ungodly number of powerful magic circuits. He wasn't quite a twiggy figure of a human being any longer, either, but neither was he fast enough to avoid more than the first swing, even when he'd expected the attack.

"Well, this was pointless," he said - or would have, if there hadn't been more blood in his lungs than air.

Then came the other cliché, the one he hadn't really been expecting, because it rarely applied to him; he just wasn't enough of a hero, or even a protagonist, to warrant its use (not in his own opinion, anyway) - but in this case, he wouldn't complain. Any rescue was appreciated under the circumstances, last-minute or otherwise The last thing he could've anticipated, however, was the nature of his rescuer.

On the one hand, she's gorgeous, and tripping every Saber-fanboy reflex I've got . . .

. . . But on the other hand, if Arturia Pendragon ever finds out about this, I am SO dead.

[fsnfan]

Okay.

I've GOT to see the continuation of this.

[Kieran]

*Chuckles* It was one of my idle musings - that Nero, with her sense of theatricality (and her resemblance to Arturia) was probably Galen's ideal Servant.

In terms of continuations, I admit to being a bit conflicted; the question arises of whether or not to stick Shirou in as a Master (in which case, who would his Servant be?), or as Archer - and in the latter case, whether his Master would be Rin or Ilya. Likewise, Takara - I can actually see her "Legacies of Fate" plotline applying here, just as equally, and I even have an idea as to her Servant (oddly enough, not Galen) . . .

. . . But would you rather see that as a continuation, or more of Galen and Nero?

[fsnfan]

Just do what tickles your fancy. You don't even have to stick to one version of your idea. It's not like you're planning to make a full fic right? Just make some omakes that's been swimming around in that head of yours. I'm sure it'd be good whatever it is you come up with.

[Kieran]

I appreciate your faith - I'll see what I can do.

[fsnfan]

Can't help it. I'm a fan of your works. I can't say that I'm No.1 but still a fan.

[Kieran]

Can't help it. I'm a fan of your works. I can't say that I'm No.1 but still a fan.

I appreciate it. And now, without further ado . . .








Tsukimura Academy
After the preliminaries








Takara was really getting sick of these rewrites to her reality.

Although, to be honest, this one was actually less trouble to adjust to: magic was virtually nonexistent in this world, which more or less matched up to her life. Of course, her family's timeline had apparently been shifted forward a good decade and change, since it was now 2030 instead of 2018, and she was hacking an alien supercomputer made out of the Moon in order to participate in a Holy Grail War, so the weirdness factor was still right up there, as far as everything else was concerned. Still, none of that changed the fact that her father was still sick, still dying, and this was the one chance she had to save his life.

And so her aunts had helped her get up to speed in "code-casting," and in finding a way into the "Moon Cell." From there, it had only taken her a couple of days to break through the layered illusion the system had set to weed out competitors - something about her high magic potential, according to aunt Touko, even if its actuality was almost nil, given the state of magecraft these days. Though personally, Takara knew it had started when she'd seen her Servant on campus - or she thought she had, anyway. It had looked like him, but that wasn't possible, unless he was one of the system's NPCs . . .

Further proof that he wasn't here was given to her when her Servant actually appeared. According to what her aunts had told her (and it was weird seeing the pair of them running a church, of all things), her previous affinity should have called him back, if he existed to be summoned at all. Maybe in a different class, since "Jester" had been a class of the Grail's own making, and "Lancer" had been a fake persona created by "Avenger"- but they assured her that he'd be there, if he was capable of it. The Moon Cell captured all the data on Earth, every nanosecond; if he'd been present there, in any form, he'd have existed in the database. Her own assumption to the side, however, he apparently did not.

Whoever or whatever she'd seen, it hadn't been him - just an illusion created by her own mind.

That was probably just as well, really; given what "Avenger" had required in order to function as a Servant, in terms of power and of luck, she'd likely have lost this War - and with Father's life on the line, she couldn't afford to. Fortunately, her new Servant seemed to understand and sympathise with her urgency - those black eyes had softened when she'd explained her reason for entering the War. That was a relief to Takara, since it was almost all she could see of her Servant, thanks to the garb it was clad in.

Beyond the eyes, she had only the barest of clues as to her Servant's true identity - the warrior's figure was slender but wiry, wearing light armour that nevertheless concealed its form completely. The armour itself was oddly winterised; fur and leather flaps, mixed with metal, reminding her of old pictures she'd seen of Genghis Khan and Atilla the Hun. The voice that emerged from its masked face was too muffled to really note details of, but it held a flat, almost nasal quality that implied Japanese was not the Servant's native language. And the Servant identified its class as being "Rider."

It was worrying, the schoolgirl had to admit, but there were a few causes for optimism. There was no sign of a Tohno clan assassin out for her blood, for example; or any albino classmates planning to kill her for power. And f nothing else, she had a prior history of being lucky (very lucky, if not always conventionally so) where Holy Grail Wars were concerned. As to the rest . . .

Well, she'd just have to have faith in her Servant - and do her best to help. Her parents were depending on her.

Hopefully, this Holy Grail War didn't contain anything like the twists and surprises of the last one . . .

[fsnfan]

Oh, Takara. You're so naive.

Aoko and Touko running a church is actually quite funny if you think about it but I never put much thought into it while playing the game.

BTW I couldn't identify the servant. Who is it?

[Kieran]

Oh, Takara. You're so naive.

She would probably prefer to say "optimistic" - and in a way, it's nice to see that she's still holding on to hope . . .

But, yeah - we already know this is going to be complicated.

Aoko and Touko running a church is actually quite funny if you think about it but I never put much thought into it while playing the game.

At least, given that Takara's in this timeline, they're likely not to snipe at each other so much . . . Well, not when she's around, at least.

BTW I couldn't identify the servant. Who is it?

I was a bit vague, so I'd be surprised (but pleased) if you had. After some thought, I suspected that this legendary figure would resonate well with Takara, if she was summoning a Servant without a catalyst of some form.

Guess who?

Rider is Hua Mulan.

[fsnfan]

Mulan?

Are we going to see Mushu and an intelligent/lucky cricket (I watched too much Disney)?

[Kieran]

Mulan?

Are we going to see Mushu and an intelligent/lucky cricket (I watched too much Disney)?

Well, I was considering adding something dragon-related, as the result of a (relatively) recent but widespread addition to her legend . . .

*Shrugs* The modern world might not have the same weight of years as ancient legends, but we do possess a greater population now than at any time in history, and a massively-widespread communication system - that has its qualities, too. Mulan's legend is as old as Arturia's, but thanks to Disney, everyone knows Mulan, and they always think of the dragon.

And for what it's worth, it's one of my favourites, too - and I'm looking forward to seeing Disney do it in live-action.

[Kieran]

Aozaki family estate, Nihon
February 5, 2011








"My apologies for calling you away from the family, Takara-chan," Touko began, "but this is quite urgent."

The witch's voice was casual, but her tone and expression were quite serious, a fitting match for her unexpectedly formal robes. Takara didn't need to revisit her mother's etiquette lessons to realise that this wasn't the enigmatic and often-playful Aunt Touko she was dealing with, but the head of the Aozaki clan.

"What is it?" the younger witch asked deferentially.

Touko's fingers twitched, as though she longed to reach for a cigarette, but she otherwise gave no sign of agitation.

"A matter of family honour," was the gravely-spoken answer. "Centuries ago, a band of samurai repelled a demonic incursion, using hereditary mystic arts - a heritage that includes the Aozaki. While the demons continue to intrude, they do so but rarely; and for some time now, since the destruction of their leader, their presence upon this plane of existence is very nearly nonexistent. But there are signs that the demon king may be resurrected soon, if it has not already occurred." An eyebrow rose sardonically. "Not unlike the series of events surrounding your schooling, come to that."

Takara said nothing, but one of those small smiles that Galen so enjoyed coaxing out of her made a brief appearance.

"If my interpretation of coming events is correct," Touko continued, "the war will soon be fought anew, and the Aozaki will be expected to send a representative, to serve as our samurai ancestor did - and as we have continued to do, across the generations."

"And you want to send me," Takara finished. "With respect, I must ask, is that wise? I know nothing of these 'hereditary' arts, and I'm not an Aozaki by blood - "

"As to your first objection, " Touko said calmly, "I suspect you will master at least the basics of the art very quickly, assuming that you've kept up your calligraphy studies. And as to the second, you're wrong."

Now it was Takara's turn to raise an eyebrow sardonically, and Touko elaborated, "You are your parents' child, and bear their blood - honourably and well, in my opinion. But you, of all your branch of the family, have born the Aozaki name from birth. You have known no other, and you think of yourself as an Aozaki; you always have. In this, you are as much a part of the line as if I or Aoko had borne you ourselves - and the magic I propose to teach you for this task will recognise that, as I do."

Takara couldn't have spoken then, even if she'd known what to say - the emotional upwelling her aunt's words called forth had made her throat feel like it was stuffed with cotton balls.

"More than that, " Touko continued grimly, "my intelligence on the other families' current representatives indicates that they are all only a few years older than Ai-chan, and while they have some knowledge of magic, none of them are in a position to be aware of magical society. And so, as I am as loathe to send my granddaughter into such a battle as I am to confront her family over its necessity, it means that I must entrust this task to you. You are not only an accomplished witch and warrior, but skilled in manipulating preconceptions - and while those are accomplishments any of us could claim, only you could reasonably pass for one of the current generation's contemporaries, given your . . . Genetic good fortune, shall we say?"

Takara had been lucky, genetically - aside from the superior vitality which came with being a witch, none of the females on her side of the family aged anything less than gracefully. There was more to it than that in her case, of course, but the upshot was that she could pass for a teenager, if she had to, despite anticipating her thirtieth birthday in another six months.

Still, something about this bothered her. Touko wouldn't sound so reluctant, if going into battle and dealing with teenagers was all this entailed. She'd sounded far too regretful for something so simple, so what . . .

"What aren't you telling me?"

Touko pinched the bridge of her nose, as if staving off a headache, before finally letting out a sigh.

"It is traditional," she said flatly, "for those chosen to cut all ties with their prior lives for the duration of the conflict - for their safety, as well as those around them."

". . . WHAT?!"








Writer's Notes: There is another piece to this, but I felt I'd spent too long getting this down already (I had to re-sign in to post it). You'll have my respect if you can figure out the scenario before I post the second piece - it's reasonably obscure.

[Kieran]

February 13, 2011








"Any change?" Takara asked, as she came to relieve Kevin from his watch.

"No," the dark-skinned youth replied. "No sign of the Nighlok, and nothing suspicious from Ryan." He shook his head. "I wish we knew what the Nighlok said to him that would make him want to give up baseball - I know how hard that is. I keep thinking about how I had to give up my swim career to be a Ranger - I was going to be in the Olympics . . . That was my dream."

Under other circumstances, she might have been more sympathetic - scratch that, she almost certainly would have - but considering what she'd given up to fulfill this obligation, it was all that Takara could do to keep the icicles out of her voice as she replied, "A career can be restarted; once this war is over, you can always resume training again. Some things, though - once they're given up, they're gone forever. "

Judging by the flinch in Kevin's posture, the Japanese witch conceded that she might not have been as successful in keeping her tone neutral as she'd wanted to be. She shook her head. "Go back home, Kevin - I'll take over."

The boy was polite as he withdrew, making her feel slightly guilty for her attitude - but only slightly. She'd done her research, once she'd been assigned this task; some incursions had taken a decade to defeat - others had lasted as little as a year. There was every possibility that, with luck, she'd end up in the latter category . . . But even then, it would be a year of her life - of her family's lives - that she would never get back.

I should be helping Ai-chan choose her electives for school, helping Mother and Aunt Aoko in planning James' birthday party - and tomorrow is Valentine's Day . . .

All of that, of course, was discounting the day-to-day routines of her immediate family (well, all except the last). She suspected that Galen had, as usual, done his best to go overboard in planning their evening - but they'd had plans fall through before. That, he would doubtless understand - far better than he'd understood her going, with minimal to no explanation, beyond "Aunt Touko's orders, and I can't talk about it," to be sure.

. . . She really, really hoped the Nighlok showed up tonight - she could use a punching bag to vent on.







Shiba House
February 14, 2011









Sadly, the monster hadn't shown up - but Takara had managed to get more than a few good licks in when they did eventually face it again. Mike had commented on her particularly vicious assaults, jokingly (as seemed to be his wont), but she hadn't offered any explanation or apologies, and no one had demanded them of her. Frankly, she didn't know what she'd have said if they had - her cover, such as it was, was already on thin ice with Serena Suzuki as one of her teammates. It was just her bad luck that the ill girl she'd been asked to look at five years ago turned out to be one of the Ranger candidates, Takara supposed - though it explained why her aunts had asked for her help to begin with.

Still, she had to avoid making the girl too suspicious; between the "experimental treatment" (magical), and the fact that she hadn't visibly aged, Takara's position was too precarious as it was. Still, as the next day dawned, and turned into night, she couldn't help but be a little morose, and she eventually found herself outside, under the stars, trying to meditate - "meditation," in Takara's case, being a series of sword kata. She never had liked being still when she could be moving, after all.

As a result, she lost track of time, and the world around her, and everything but her movements and the blade - and nearly ended up bisecting Mentor Ji.

"My apologies, Ji-sama," she said fervently, bowing deeply. "Are you all right? It is rather late to be out . . ."

"I could say the same," the older man returned, giving her a measuring look that made her nervous. Given that he was supposed to mentor the Rangers, Takara was unsure exactly how much the man knew about her - and she was hesitant to press, though it would be nice to have someone on the team to talk who might understand her.

Ji shook his head. "There's an ominous chill in the air that sets me on edge - like a wolf you know is prowling outside your door, but can't see. Feelings like that rarely mean anything good, but there's nothing I can point to that would pinpoint its source." He scowled. "It's rather unsettling me tonight - but then, I suppose that feeling like the spectre of death is lurking around would do that to anyone." He shook his head. "Don't stay out too late - we rise early tomorrow for training, after all."

She nodded, automatically responding, "Yes, Mentor."

Inwardly, though, she was surprised - her own instincts hadn't caught anything like what he was describing, and she was, modesty aside, very hard to ambush. Her Animagus nature gave her very sharp senses, and she'd honed them well against Hermione's catlike (and later, vampiric stealth), Shirou's sniper training, and Galen's Deathcloak. Moreover, she was learning to sense magic, although it was still a rudimentary skill - the barrier that surrounded this place was a low-level hum in the background to her.

Given all that, Takara would've thought that anything capable of causing that kind of unease in a veteran warrior like Mentor Ji would've been detected by her . . .

Unless, she realised suddenly, it wasn't a threat to me.

". . . Galen?"

It was barely a whisper, almost a plea - but the near-silent sound of fabric sliding away from flesh was all the confirmation she needed.

She had no memory of moving, and frankly, she didn't care; she was just suddenly in his arms, and that was where she wanted to be. Eventually, though, her conscience reasserted itself, and she reluctantly pulled away from him to speak.

"Galen, you can't be here - "

He snorted. "With this kind of security? Please - you couldn't stop me." The edge in his voice softened. "I won't stay, this time - but for heaven's sake, Takara, remember that it's more important to finish your task and come home than it is to adhere to tradition. If we can help you in this, ask."

He kissed her cheek. "But that's tomorrow's worry. For tonight, it's still Valentine's Day, and I want a dance with my wife before the clock strikes midnight."

She sighed, but was unable to hold back a smile. "You are such a sap - but no glass slippers, all right?"

"Of course, Milady," he answered with a smile, which widened into a full-blown smirk as his wand appeared in his hand.

"Bibbidi-bobbidi-boo."

[Rai Burnout]

Sorry I'm late. Been busy with stuff. Interesting, I'm getting a serious Mulan vibe. Combined with Slayers? Of course Galen would show up. Nothing would stop him but being 15ft down in the ground and even then its a toss up.