Thread Rating:
  • 0 Vote(s) - 0 Average
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
[IC][Story][Arc 1] Rob's as-yet-untitled sidestory #9
[IC][Story][Arc 1] Rob's as-yet-untitled sidestory #9
#1
Star 
They stood at the riverbank, facing each other, twenty paces separating them.

A stray breeze blew a leaf into the air. As the leaf touched the ground, they both moved.

"Shiny Aqua Illusion!" Ami launched a blast of frigid water at her opponent.

He stopped his attack preparations, caught Ami's attack in mid-air, then tossed it back at her.

She started running. "Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!" she cried without stopping to stand and fire.

The two masses of water hit each other in mid-air, merging and flying into a mass of spray.

"Time!"

"What, already?" Rob turned to Mii. "We just started."

"You two stood there staring each other down for minutes as if you were in a samurai drama. Or maybe you were just staring at each other. I'm a bit jealous."

"Sorry!" Ami smiled, then sighed. "I was hoping to get some more practice in."

"And I was hoping to find out what else I can do with this new ability of mine," Rob added.

"Then be less dramatic next time and go straight to the combat. Ami, how long have you been able to get an attack off without stopping to launch it?"

Ami transformed out of her Sailor Mercury form and checked her watch. "About two minutes now. I knew Rob wouldn't hurt me if it didn't work."

"That was your first time?"

"It was my first time, it was with you, and I got so wet in the process." Ami smiled at Rob.

Mii grinned and passed a towel to Ami. "Yes, Ami, you're definitely a pre-med student. We shouldn't describe it that way to the others, though." She turned to Rob and saw he didn't need a towel - he had already moved the water away from his clothes and body. Then she raised her voice. "Computer, end program!"

The water in the river drained away, then the ground and the riverbed disappeared, revealing a large empty room decorated in a crab motif. The door opened to reveal Makoto and Mikoto waiting patiently. "Are you three done with whatever it is you were doing?"

"Not really, but it is your turn to use the sparring room. Try not to hurt each other, please."

Ami, Mii, and Rob waited for Makoto and Mikoto to step into the sparring room before they left. Once they were out of the building's pocket dimension, Ami made a quick detour to the laundry room to drop off her towel, then re-joined the others at the foot of the stairs up to ground level. "I'm not used to not having any homework."

"Neither am I," Mii added, "but that doesn't mean I can't read ahead in my coursework."

"I don't have any paperwork to do for Funtom Canada today, and Maika's got the housework down to a routine. How about the three of us go out for lunch after we take a shower... sorry, after we take showers and make ourselves presentable?"

Mii grinned. "All in favour of us taking one shower?" She and Ami both raised their hands.

They heard a cough from the top of the stairs. Looking up, they saw Hyoga... also smiling and raising her hand. "What are you three waiting for?"

Rob sighed. "You know that was a slip of the tongue, and I know you're all teasing me. Not until you two are 18 and you," he looked at Hyoga, "have had Washuu-chan give you a full medical scan."

"I'm a perfectly healthy human now, really." Hyoga emphasized "huamn" ever so slightly.

"I know. But whose DNA is in your genes?"



Blossom Apartments, Ottawa, ON, Canada
11:01am, December 22, 2016


Makoto saw the note that Rob had left on the kitchen counter. She read it, nodded, and scaled back her lunch recipe.

It made sense to her for the four of them to have lunch out. After all, Ami and Mii-san had to figure out what they thought of that geas on Hyoga-san and Rob-oji, and they couldn't do that with everybody else listening in and offering comments. Well, they could, but Makoto knew that she wouldn't be able to stop herself from defending Ami's interests even if Ami didn't want her to.



Ottawa, ON, Canada
11:13am, December 22, 2016


"An extra-large 'pizzaburger', please." Mii turned to the other three people at the table. "What do you want?"

Rob grinned. "Even you might have trouble finishing off an extra-large on your own. The four of us will share one pizza."

As the waitress left to tell the kitchen their order, Hyoga turned to Rob. "Is this a pizza inside a hamburger bun?"

"No, 'pizzaburger' is their name for a pizza topped with ground beef, mushrooms, and green peppers. It isn't as greasy or as spicy as the usual Ottawa combination of pepperoni, mushrooms, and green peppers, which is why I like it and introduced it to our building's espers before the Senshi showed up. As for the name, it's a pizza topped with what people expect to see inside a hamburger bun."

"Why haven't I heard of this before?"

Mii sighed. "Hyoga, this is literally the second-closest pizza place to our apartment, and the closest one that has table service. How have you not been here before?"

"As Rob pointed out to me during our very long day yesterday, I need to get out more." Hyoga sighed. "I'm out now. And we need to talk."

"Yeah. That's why I asked for a table in the corner."

Ami smiled at Rob. "Better to have at least some privacy, yes. My first question: Why did we tell our resident spy, Maika?"

"That's part of the geas. I had to tell mortals, and she's the only person in the building who can be described only as a mortal human - no esper Skill, no Senshi transformation, no talent for magic, and no ... whatever it is that I am now."

"What about Jacky and Kate?"

"They might not be mages, but they're magic-users. Although we called on them after we told all of you, and then visited a few other people that I know, just to be on the safe side. Garm did say 'mortals', plural."

"Second question," Mii said. "What kind of family are the two of you going to be?"

"The two of you are Rob's first loves," Hyoga replied. "I'm content with being junior to both of you."

Rob sighed, deeply. "I don't want anybody to be senior or junior in our relationship. And I don't know whether Hyoga and I can be spouses."

"Why not?"

"She was re-made into a human with a celestial form, and I was the closest human when that happened."

Ami nodded. "And you're worried that her genetic pattern was copied from yours, although you can't be an exact match because the two of you are obviously not the same sex."

"But we could be genetic siblings; just change my XY pair to an XX pair."

Hyoga gasped. "I didn't even think of that!"

"And Mako-chan told me that you used to have a sister," Ami continued.

Rob nodded.

"Used to?"

"She passed away many years ago, from a wasting disease that I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy."

Mii looked Rob straight in the eye. "Does Hyoga look like your sister?"

"That's the thing. Maybe." Rob turned to Hyoga. "The women in my family tend toward having large bustlines the way you do, but you had that measurement before I met you. You're as serious as I remember her being, but she didn't wear glasses, and you aren't as tall as my blood relatives."

"Japanese people tend to be shorter than North Americans."

"Only because of diet," countered Ami. "Mii, you're taller than Mako-chan, and you're only one year older than she and I are."

"Speaking of diet," Rob interrupted, "I see our garlic bread coming."

After the waitress had been and left, they went on with their conversation.

"Let's assume that you're too close genetically to be lovers. What then?"

"Then Hyoga is for all intents and purposes my sister, and will eventually be your sister-in-law. That's a given."

Hyoga smiled, then sighed. "I agree, if that's the case. As much as I don't want it to be the case."

"Yes, there's no reason for your DNA to be Hyoga's template. Hvergelmir has all of creation to draw upon, after all."

Mii frowned. "But our plane of existence was frozen in time. Hvergelmir might not have had access to it."

"Or it might have taken the opportunity to get detailed scans of people while we were frozen," Ami replied.

"Ladies, I think we're arguing with insufficient evidence. I'll call Washuu-chan once we're back home."

"Right. Third question. If you aren't genetically too close to marry, are we going to form a group marriage?"

"Is that legal?" Hyoga asked Mii.

"That depends on whether you want a marriage contract," Rob replied. "In Canada, I can only marry one of you, but nobody can stop us from living together as a family."

"Maika wouldn't approve," Mii pointed out.

"What the 'English Puritan Church' - which I assume is what your world has instead of our Anglican Church - does or does not approve of is no concern of mine. And if Maika dares to complain, I'll ask her what the first epistle to the Corinthians has to say."

Mii frowned. "What does it have to say?"

"'But now abideth faith, hope, love, these three; and the greatest of these is love.' That's from the American Standard translation."

Rob nodded at Hyoga's quotation. "I'm impressed that you know it well enough to quote it."

"I am an angel, after all. But I don't think they pay attention to that epistle any more."

"Why not?"

"The same epistle also says, 'For when one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not men? What then is Apollos? and what is Paul? Ministers through whom ye believed; and each as the Lord gave to him. I planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.' That doesn't match up with the multiplicity of Christian churches in either my home universe or this one."

"We're getting off-topic, ladies. And I see our waitress coming our way with a pizza." After the waitress had served each of them a slice and left the rest of the pizza at the table, Rob continued, "I don't want to railroad anybody into something you don't want. Hyoga, what do you think about all this?"

"I'm thinking that another quote from that same epistle applies here. 'But if they have not continency, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn. But unto the married I give charge, yea not I, but the Lord, That the wife depart not from her husband (but should she depart, let her remain unmarried, or else be reconciled to her husband); and that the husband leave not his wife. But to the rest say I, not the Lord: If any brother hath an unbelieving wife, and she is content to dwell with him, let him not leave her. And the woman that hath an unbelieving husband, and he is content to dwell with her, let her not leave her husband.'"

"I always thought the Apostle Paul was something of a prude," Rob commented. "He wanted everybody to abstain from sex, and conceded to sex within marriage."

"I'm not a Christian," Ami added. "But I suppose that just makes me one of the unbelieving."

Rob nodded and continued. "But that's what Paul thought. I asked what you thought, Hyoga. I think I know what you mean, but do you really understand it if you can't put it into your own words?"

"I see what you're saying," Hyoga answered. "I like all of you. I think I love you all, in different ways. I'd be happy to be a part of a family with all of you, but I don't want that family to be torn apart for any reason short of death. And I definitely don't agree with Paul's ideas about human sexuality. I'm more of an Old Testament angel that way."

"All fire and brimstone?" Mii asked.

"No, the other sort. 'I am a rose of Sharon, A lily of the valleys. As a lily among thorns, So is my love among the daughters. As the apple-tree among the trees of the wood, So is my beloved among the sons. I sat down under his shadow with great delight, And his fruit was sweet to my taste. He brought me to the banqueting-house, And his banner over me was love. Stay ye me with raisins, refresh me with apples; For I am sick from love. His left hand under my head, And his right hand doth embrace me.'"

Rob grinned. "I'll be sure to let Mako-chan know that you think her meals are banquets."

Hyoga grinned back. "There's that literal meaning, too."

Mii just looked confused. "I'm sorry, but was that really a Bible quote? It sounded less like something a Christian would say and more like something a romance novelist would write."

Hyoga nodded. "It was from the Song of Solomon. There are a lot of people who forget that we were created with sex drives for a reason, but Solomon wasn't one of them."

"Okay," Rob said as he served another slice of pizza to Mii, "I think we all know where Hyoga stands on the matter. What about you, Mii?"

"I like you, but I don't know whether I'm ready to commit myself to a lifelong relationship. Especially since we're all going to live for centuries."

"How do you figure that?"

"Ami, you're a Sailor Senshi. We know you're going to live for at least a millennium. Washuu-chan gave me that nanite treatment to heal me quickly back when we were first attacked by the Unseelie, and the experts in Academy City are almost positive that regeneration includes an extended lifespan as a second-order effect. Rob, didn't she give you the same nanite treatment?"

"The same or a similar treatment, yes, to repair my nervous system." He looked thoughtful at the realization. "But that was before I was transformed at Hvergelmir."

"Everything we've seen so far indicates you were improved, not re-created."

"Everything we've seen so far."

"Granted, but why would you have lost an ability? And Hyoga's an angel. I might have the shortest lifespan of all of us; just a few centuries. But I'm pretty sure that we're all going to outlive the other people we know, the Senshi and the Juraians excluded. I like you all now. Will I still like you in 2200?"

"'But should she depart, let her remain unmarried, or else be reconciled to her husband'," Hyoga re-quoted. "I'm fine with spending time apart, even years apart, as long as we remain true to each other."

"I'd still like to think about it."

"I'm not going to ask you to commit to anything until after your 18th birthday," Rob replied. "You have plenty of time to think about it."

"And I have even more time, don't I?" Everybody nodded in reply to Ami's question. "Mii mentioned that I'm going to live for longer than she expects to live. I don't know whether I can handle that."

"It isn't easy outliving a loved one," Rob replied. "But we all end up learning how to cope."

"Does anybody else want more pizza?"

"Way to spoil the mood, Mii," Rob muttered.

"Oh! I'm sorry. But there's no point letting it go to waste."

"I'll have one more slice, please," Ami replied.

"So will I, please."

"And I'll have one more as well," Rob added. "You can have the rest."

Mii smiled as they all turned their full attention to lunch.



Blossom Apartments, Ottawa, ON, Canada / Westwoods Apartments, San Antonio, TX, USA
12:33pm / 11:33am, December 22, 2016


"I hope I'm not taking you away from lunch."

"Not at all. I was just about to call you, actually; Sasami-chan wants to know what you want for Christmas presents."

"Honestly, Washuu-chan, all I want for Christmas is a full medical checkup."

"I gave you a full medical checkup less than three months ago, Rob."

"True, but that was before Hyoga and I visited Niflheim yesterday."

"You visited ... Both of you. My lab. Now."

"Yes, Washuu-chan." Rob grinned, looked up from the phone, and turned to Makoto and Mikoto. "See you tomorrow. I hope."

Before they could reply, the door to Washuu-chan's lab appeared on the Blossom Apartments common room's wall.




To be continued ...
--
Rob Kelk

Sticks and stones can break your bones,
But words can break your heart.
- unknown
RE: [IC][Story][Arc 1] Rob's as-yet-untitled sidestory #9
#2
Washuu's lab, Westwoods Apartments, San Antonio, TX, USA
5:11pm, December 22, 2016


"This is the best Christmas present ever! Or Startica present. Or..."

"We get the idea, Washuu-chan." Rob hoped his interruption was enough to nudge Washuu's enthusiasm into a useful channel.

Luckily, it was. "This is the first time I've ever been able to get before-and-after scans of somebody who's gone through the ultimate recreation process! Thank you, Rob-san!"

"So, what did I come out as?"

Washuu's mood shifted as if somebody has mentioned Washuu's Pore to her face. "I don't know. You're not an esper, or a god or demigod, or a demon, or a mage, or anything other than human as far as I can tell."

"A mutant? A metahuman?"

"Both of those terms beg the question. Since I can't give a name to what you are, I'll describe you instead. You have psychokinetic powers over dihydrogen monoxide, but nothing else. The nanomachines that I had injected into you are nowhere to be seen, but their effects are still ongoing in your body. You're also substantially more able to tolerate trauma, temperature extremes, and radiation."

"'I'm tough. I can take it.' I remember thinking that while I was trying to rescue Hyoga - or while I thought I was trying to rescue her."

"And your will influenced your alteration. Other than what I've described, you're a baseline human. Oh, and your changes are at the genetic level, and they're inheritable." Washuu turned to Hyoga. "As for you, I need to call in an expert."

Hyoga's cellphone rang once. She pulled it out of her pocket and frowned at the lack of caller information on the screen. Before she could say anything, the lens of the phone's camera started to glow... and Peorth stepped out of the camera. "I'll save you a call, Washuu."

"Please, call me Washuu-chan!"

"Is that the wish you want to make? If you deserve a wish, you'll only get one, ever."

"No. No, it isn't."

"All right, Washuu. You've already run your tests." Peorth wasn't asking. "Go ahead and tell her what you know, and I'll fill in the missing pieces that I can reveal."

"Right. Hyoga, in your current form, you're a normal 18-year-and-one-day-old girl. Well, normal for your friends; you picked up a few abilities when your body was put together. You've taken the translation effect that Belldandy placed on all of the displacees and generalized it; if there's a language on Earth that you don't understand, nobody speaks it any more. You have Mikoto's electromagnetic shield, and 1/64th of her genetic pattern, too. You have Rob's durability, resistance, longevity, and 1/64th of his genetic pattern. Nobody's going to hurt you except with an area attack."

Hyoga looked at Rob with a smile on her face. "We're barely related!"

"And I see your hormones are working normally for a baseline human. I also spotted 1/64th of Usagi's genetic pattern in your makeup; I think you might have copied her good luck. I don't recognize the other 61/64ths of your DNA pattern. As for your angelic form... I'm at a loss."

"Which is where I take over." Peorth turned to Hyoga. "Would you transform, please?"

She did, and her largest wings touched the ceiling. Washuu blinked. "That roof's 50 meters high. What kind of angel are you?"

Peorth donned a pair of glasses and looked Hyoga over, very carefully. "Much like your human form, your angelic form draws on a mix of sources. I see something of Noble Scarlet in you. I'm surprised you chose her instead of one of the more powerful goddesses' angels."

"I didn't choose anyone, at least not consciously."

"Pardonnez-moi, mademoiselle. I also see a bit of Aiwass in you, but that looks like it was in you before your re-creation. You have other kinds of angels in your makeup... Oh! I see how they fit together now! You're a guardian. Not a cherub, but you have their ability to keep track of those who needs your protection. Not a goddess's angel, but you reflect the souls of your chosen bondmates the way they do and they reflect your soul. I could go on if you needed to know, but, alas, you don't need to know. But I'll tell you this: you have discharged Garm's geas on you."

"Garm's hold is gone?"

Peorth turned to Rob. "Over her, yes. Not over you. You told Belldandy that you accepted your geas willingly, you foolish boy. You have to be the hero for the rest of your life."

He grinned. "There are worse fates, milady Peorth."

"At least you're getting the hero's reward along with the hero's burden."

"What reward would that be?"

"Your reward has at least four names that I can see, and maybe more. I'll tell you three: Mii, Ami, and Hyoga."

"My loves. I hope your phrasing is poetic, and they aren't my property. And... oh, dear... I'm to have another?"

"They are not your property, and you are not their property. And you will have at least one more; the one I can see has not yet realized what love is. And now I must go; I'm a very busy goddess." Hyoga's phone's camera lens glowed again, and Peorth disappeared into the light.

"But..." Hyoga sighed. "How do I do those things she said I can do?"

"We'll worry about that later," Washuu replied. "Do you two want to stay for dinner?"

Rob smiled. "Sasami's cooking? I'd be an idiot if I were to decline."

"It's that good?"

"Some of her recipes are better than Makoto's. But before we go..."

Washuu sighed. "What do you want?"

"I just want to know how long I can expect to live, assuming I don't take any undue risks."

"You're a Hero with a capital H; taking undue risks is in the job description. But I expect you'll both live to see at least your three-hundredth birthdays, just like Mii. Maybe you'll last longer, maybe you'll be hit by a battle-cruiser tomorrow." Washuu started closing computer windows, then stopped. "I never did find out what you all want for Christmas."

Hyoga took Rob's arm and snuggled close. "What I want, only Rob can give me."

Washuu looked at the couple, then sighed. "You can answer Sasami yourself, then."





And that's it, except for a name... unless I change my mind and write more.
--
Rob Kelk

Sticks and stones can break your bones,
But words can break your heart.
- unknown
RE: [IC][Story][Arc 1] Rob's as-yet-untitled sidestory #9
#3
I changed my mind and wrote more.




Blossom Apartments, Ottawa, ON, Canada
9:24pm, December 22, 2016


A portal opened on the common room's wall. Rob and Hyoga stepped through, their arms filled with wrapped presents. "We're home!"

"Welcome back," replied Maika as she stepped forward to take some of the parcels from Hyoga. "Have you eaten?"

"Yes, we have. Rob was right; Sasami-chan is a good cook."

Rob almost made a teasing complaint at Hyoga's lack of trust in him, but thought better of it. "Are Mii and Ami home?"

"I'll go get them." Maika passed Ruiko at the common room's door.

"Welcome home! Did you bring us any souvenirs?"

Rob nodded at the presents that he was still carrying. "I think there's something in here for you. Have you been a good girl, Rui-chan?"

She looked at the load of wrapped boxes, thought for a moment, then said, "Maybe I should wait until Christmas Day."

"Not Christmas Eve day? We've been invited out for Christmas, remember?"

"That's right! Rob-oji, when are we going to host instead of visiting?"

"We'll host the next get-together, I promise. Let's invite everybody to skate on the world's largest outdoor rink when it's open, probably some time next month. Do you know how to ice skate?"

"I've never tried."

"If you ask nicely, maybe Mako-chan will teach you."

"Maybe I'll teach Rui-chan what?" asked Makoto from the doorway as she and Ami walked into the room.

"Can you teach me how to ice skate? Please?"

"What, right now?"

Rob chuckled. "How about the two of you go some place quiet and work out whether you're going to do that."

Ruiko grinned while Makoto narrowed her eyes. "You're trying to get rid of us."

Rob nodded. "What Hyoga and I have to discuss with Ami and Mii is between the four of us, at least for now. Okay?"

Makoto sighed. "Fine. But I expect you to tell me what happened," she said to Ami just before leaving with Ruiko.

A moment after they left, Mii walked in, closing and locking the door behind her. "Maika told me that you wanted to talk with me."

"Yeah. We have the results of Washuu-chan's tests ..." Ten minutes later, Rob finished "... and I wasn't about to do anything until we knew what you thought."

"And, since what I want takes two willing people, we haven't done anything yet."

Mii nodded at Hyoga's comment, then sighed. "I was hoping you'd wait until I was old enough, but that isn't happening now."

Ami smiled, almost sadly. "I knew you wouldn't wait for me."

"Woah!" Rob held up a hand in a 'stop' gesture. "We don't need to do anything right now, if you want us to wait."

"Oh..." whispered Hyoga.

Ami looked at Hyoga, then turned back to Rob. "Yes, you do. As a Warrior of Love and Justice, I think it would be unjust for you to deny or delay your love."

"We aren't denying it." Hyoga took Rob's hand in her own. "And I want to... but I don't want to hurt either of you."

Mii moved behind Hyoga and hugged her. "Ami and I discussed this before you even manifested in this universe, Hyoga-sa... Hyoga. We know that we're sharing our beloved with each other. I'm willing to share with you as well."

"So am I," added Ami. "Of course, it's up to Rob whether he wants to do this."

Rob sighed. "It's up to all of us. Don't make me feel like you think you're my servant - or worse, my property. I don't want that. I want all of you - my beloveds - to have your own lives that include me, not to be just part of my life."

"In that case, I want the same deal from you," replied Mii. "No special treatment goes both ways."

"Likewise," added Hyoga.

"Which means it's unanimous," Ami finished. "We are sharing our lives with each other, but we aren't chained to each other. So you two go share each other and don't worry about what I think."

"You're sure?" Rob and Hyoga asked almost in unison.

Mii looked at Rob, grinned, and let go of Hyoga. "That's not a gun in his pocket. You'd better do something about that."

"Hey! I'm not -"

"I know you aren't. Yet. Teasing you is fun, Rob." She kissed him on the cheek, then headed for the door. "Let me know how things go, okay?"





Blossom Apartments, Ottawa, ON, Canada
10:05pm, December 22, 2016


"I still think you're making a mistake, Ami. You could have any boy you want."

"I don't want a boy, Mako-chan. I want Rob. Even if I have to share him."

"Okay, I can understand that. I think. That's better than some of the stories on the Internet about us."

"Some of my classmates showed some of those to me. Who out there thought that we're a romantic couple?"

"Some of the animators, apparently, or ... Ami? Are you okay?"

"I... I think so... Igottago!" She bolted for the door.

By the time Makoto got to her apartment's door, Ami was already past Rei's apartment and opening the door to her own - which she slammed behind herself in her haste to get through the doorway.

'What's gotten into her?' Makoto wondered.

* * *

Mii sighed as she half-watched some Looney Tunes cartoons. If only she was older, she could have been in the same room as Rob and Hyoga right now... taking part... feeling... what she was feeling right now...

She turned the TV off. "Pronoun trouble" would have to wait. She knew she shouldn't be feeling the way she did just then - especially considering how unsexy a show she was watching - but she couldn't help it.

* * *

"Oh, oh God! This is fantastic!"

"Oh, oh, darling..."

* * *

Ami could hear everything that was going on in the apartment immediately below her... but she was too busy to listen.

* * *

Mii was at the opposite end of the building... but she could "hear" everything in her mind, too.





Blossom Apartments, Ottawa, ON, Canada
11:44pm, December 22, 2016


"Oh, God. How many times did I just ... Oh, ..." She collapsed from exhaustion.

* * *

"Oh, God. How many times did I just ... Oh, ..." She collapsed from exhaustion.

* * *

"Oh, God. How many times did we just ... Oh, ..." They collapsed from exhaustion.





Blossom Apartments, Ottawa, ON, Canada
6:51am, December 23, 2016


"Good morning, ladies!"

Mii and Ami both blushed at hearing Rob's greeting... and blushed even deeper when they saw Hyoga was with him. "Good morning... Is something wrong?"

"No...?" whispered Ami.

"Maybe?" Mii whispered.

From the common room's doorway, Makoto said, "There you are! Good morning, Ami! Why did you take off so quickly last night?"

Ami's blush deepened even farther at Makoto's question.

"What happened?"

Mii looked at him in surprise. "You know what happened! I could hear the two of you!"

"You heard us? From the other end of the building?"

"So could I..." Ami whispered.

"I didn't think we were that loud!"

Makoto looked at Hyoga. "You and Rob-san... Whatever you did, I didn't hear it."

"But..." Mii looked puzzled.

"Oh, no! The link!"

"What link?"

Rob grimaced. "We didn't tell you because we didn't think it was any of your business, Mako-chan. Peorth told Hyoga that she has an emphatic link with the people she loves."

"The people I want to protect. I didn't remember that it's a two-way link! I'm sorry!"

Ami smiled shyly. "Don't be. It... wasn't unpleasant."

"it was wonderful..." Mii breathed.

"You need to keep control of that link!"

Hyoga turned to Makoto, tears in her eyes. "I don't know how ..."
--
Rob Kelk

Sticks and stones can break your bones,
But words can break your heart.
- unknown
RE: [IC][Story][Arc 1] Rob's as-yet-untitled sidestory #9
#4
Blossom Apartments, Ottawa, ON, Canada
8:23am, December 23, 2016


"I was planning on going Christmas shopping today, but this is more important. Kuroko, you'll have to go without me."

Rob winced. "I'm sorry, Mikoto. And Kuroko. You had plans. We can do this later."

"Think nothing of it, Rob-san. This gives me an opportunity to get something for onee-sama. If you'll excuse me, I'll be on my way alone." Kuroko teleported out of the common room.

"You had best be going as well, Kino-san. The fewer people there are who see what's about to happen, the fewer distractions we'll have in doing it."

Makoto looked at Ami. "If you want me to stay ..." Ami shook her head. "All right. I'll go wait outside with Accelerator. I never thought I'd be waiting around with him."

And then the only people in the room were Rob, Mii, Ami, Hyoga, Index, Mikoto, and the Misaka Sisters. Mii locked the door behind Makoto and sat beside Rob.

Mikoto looked around. "I understand why the four of you are here - it's your mindlink. Why am I here? And the rest of us?"

"Everybody else is here because we need their help. You're here to make sure no disaster happens, Mikoto-san."

"What can I do to stop a disaster, Mii-sempai?"

After a moment, Rob sighed. "We know you can use your ability to tap into computer networks. The books say you can also tap into the Misaka Network."

"They do? How?"

"It would be more accurate to say that the Original can join the Misaka Network, Niiko Misaka replies."

"And we will have to guide you in to do that, adds Mimi Misaka." She said that in a more grown-up tone of voice than she usually used.

"Yeah. And once you're in, you and your sisters get to stand guard over Mimi while she does her Last Order thing again."

"Which I really do not want to do, Mimi Misaka states for the record. But Hyoga-san needs my help, Mimi adds."

Mikoto narrowed her eyes. "Why not?"

Again, nobody answered for a moment. Finally, Rob asked, "Haven't you watched your anime or read the books at all yet, Mikoto? If anything goes wrong - hell, if things go right - both Mimi-kun and Hyoga run a serious risk of personality death. Remember when everybody in Academy City fell asleep, and you had to answer Index's science questions on the phone while dodging lethal attacks?"

"Is that what was going on? You were saving a life? Somebody should have told me!"

Index put her hand on Mikoto's hand. "I'm sorry, we didn't have time. But we're telling you now."

Mikoto took a deep breath, then let it out. "Okay. What's your role in this?"

"The same as it was last time; if Mimi goes into a coma, I will bring her back."

"And it was Kamijo-san who brought Hyoga back that time - but that's my job now," added Rob.

"Okay, let's say this works and everybody's still themselves. What happens then?"

"Then, we go through the link between Misaka Misaka and Kazakiri Hyoga - Last Order and FUSE=Kazakiri - and teach Hyoga-san how to control her link with Konori-san, Mizuno-san, and Donaldson-san, Rei Misaka explains."

Mikoto thought for a moment. "So, the plan is that I'm going to join the Misaka Network, my youngest sister is going to put her life on the line to extend that network to Hyoga-san, and my other sisters are going to teach her how to not share her thoughts. You're going to go angel for this, right?"

"I'll have to," Hyoga replied.

"And is this room big enough to hold you in your angel form?"

After five seconds, everybody stood up at once. Five minutes later, the group had settled into the sparring room.

"I like this chair, comments Rei Misaka. It is quite comfortable."

"Don't get too used to it," Rob replied. "Louis XV style furniture is much more expensive than what we can afford for our apartments right now."

"Perhaps I should live in this holosuite, then, Rei Misaka replies."

"Nobody lives in the sparring room! This is where Mako-chan and I spar!"

"I apologize, Original, says Rei Misaka with contrition. I will remain in my one-room apartment for now, Rei Misaka adds."

"For now?"

Rob chuckled. "Wasn't the plan that eventually you'd be going home? And even if you're staying here for the long term, somebody's going to move out into their own place sooner or later, so an apartment or two will be freed up eventually."

Mikoto nodded. "That makes sense. But we're getting derailed here. What do we do now?"

"Please sit between Kokono Misaka and myself, asks Nana Misaka." As Mikoto walked over to the ottoman, Ami opened the Mercury Computer and started taking measurements of the Misakas.

"On the recommendation of Washuu-chan, we have been studying the Original's neural patterns since we arrived here last month, admits Niiko Misaka. Please make yourself comfortable, Niiko Misaka adds."

"Washuu-chan again," Rob muttered. "What's with her, anyway?"

Mii reached over and took his hand in her own. Whispering, she replied, "She's a super-genius."

Rob looked around. "And how many people in this room qualify for Mensa membership, again?"

"Just you and Ami. Especially Ami. The rest of us are smart in some fields, not in every field. But Washuu-chan is so much above Ami as Ami is above ... not anybody who lives here, but you know what I mean."

"Yeah. And I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that."

"I didn't take any offense. Besides, you aren't as observant as I am, or as good a cook as Mako-chan is, or as good with computers as Kazari-kun is, or as compassionate as Usagi-san is, despite having a higher IQ than any of us."

"You're right. Mii, do me a favour? Keep me humble that way, please?"

She smiled. "Of course. Oh, it looks like the Misaka sisters are ready."

"We were just waiting for you to notice, Mikoto Misaka replies."

"Oh, shit."

"Hey, it's easier to identify myself in the link this way! I'm still me!"

"Don't scare me like that!"

"How would you prefer to be scared, Nana Misaka asks?" Rob blinked, and blinked again. Nana was still grinning.

"Nana-kun, if you can keep that ability to show emotions after we've finished, this will have been worth it even if Hyoga can't control the empathic link. And I'd prefer not to be scared at all, thank you."

Ami looked up. "This is amazing. Their brains are actually in resonance! I've never seen anything like this before."

Niiko looked at the Mercury Computer's screen over Ami's shoulder. After a moment, she said, "We have. Or, rather, Mikoto has, Niiko corrects herself."

"Those are similar to the charts I saw while the Level Upper was active," Mikoto added.

"I wonder whether there's a connection, Rei asks in idle curiosity, knowing we'll never receive an answer."

Ami sighed. "Getting back to what we're doing here..." The Misaka sisters blushed, including Mikoto. "... I think we're ready to go on. Mimi-chan, are you ready?"

Mimi took a deep breath, then sighed deeply. "Haiiiiiii."

Rob stood up, walked over to Mimi, and squatted so he could look her in the eye. "Mimi-kun, if you don't want to do this, then we'll find some other way."

"No, it's all right. I'm a big girl. And I'm part of the Misaka Network, Mimi adds. My sisters will protect me, including Mikoto-neesan."

"If you're sure...?"

She nodded. "I'm sure."

"Okay. And thank you, Mimi." Rob returned to his seat.

Once he'd made himself comfortable and Ami had sat beside him, Index reached out and took Mimi and Hyoga's hands in her own. "May the two of you find success in this effort of yours."

The Mercury Computer beeped. Ami glanced at it, then smiled. "That blessing couldn't hurt, and might help." Rob frowned for a brief moment at that, then shook his head as if to clear it.

Mimi and Hyoga looked into each other's eyes, losing themselves in the other's gaze, finding kindred spirits in each other's souls. Eventually their breathing synchronized. "This is much better than the brute-force method Academy City used," they said in unison.

Index and Ami smiled. Mii and Rob grinned.

Hyoga stood and transformed into her angelic form - not her full form, but an angel with smaller wings that could fit in the room without crowding everyone. All of the Misaka Sisters, including Mikoto and Mimi, also stood up ... and smiled.

"Of course," Hyoga said in wonder. "How could I have missed something so obvious?"

"It wasn't obvious, not until we showed you," Mimi replied.

"You're right. What else do you see?"

"Look here - these strings."

"Red strings, from my finger to my beloveds' fingers. They're so fragile."

"Are they?"

Looking through the glasses that Skuld had given him, Rob could actually see the strings arc between himself and Hyoga, between himself and Mii, between himself and Ami, between Hyoga and Mii, between Hyoga and Ami, and between Mii and Ami, now that they had been pointed out. For a brief moment, he thought he could see another red string around his finger, but he couldn't tell where it lead. Then he noticed a gleam on the strings that wasn't there before.

"Not any more." The strings faded out of Rob's view... but he knew they were still there. Hyoga smiled, and kissed Mimi on the forehead. "My gift to you." She repeated the kiss and the comment with each of the Misaka Sisters. Then she walked over to Rob. "I'll see you later, my darling."

Everybody who was standing collapsed.

Rob was standing and had Hyoga in his arms before she could hit the floor. Ami caught Mimi, and Mii made sure Niiko didn't hit Mikoto as they fell almost on top of each other.

After a few minutes, everyone was awake and aware again. "Is everybody okay?"

"We're all back to the way we're supposed to be, Rob-san," Mikoto replied. "I think."

"I confirm that the Misaka Sisters are all right, Niiko adds."

"I just realized," Rob commented. "You haven't called yourselves by your full names since Mikoto joined your link."

Rei Misaka shrugged, then looked startled at the action. "Is it necessary, Rei asks?"

Rob grinned. "No, I suppose not." Then he turned to Hyoga. "How are you doing, pretty lady?"

"Give me a moment, please." She transformed back to fully human, then gave Rob a hug. "I'm doing just fine, darling."

"Get a room, you two, Niiko mutters." She did mutter, too.

Rob laughed. "Technically, this entire building..."

"...belongs to Lord Phantomhive, not you," Mii finished. "So they're his rooms. Get a room, you two - and we'll see whether you really have the link damped down."

Ten minutes later, Mii and Ami weren't feeling anything more than a pleasant happiness.





Blossom Apartments, Ottawa, ON, Canada
Noon, December 23, 2016


Ami cornered Rob before he could walk into the common room for lunch. "Do you have a moment?"

"Of course."

"You didn't look happy when Index blessed Mimi and Hyoga."

Rob sighed. "Index knows too many dangerous spells. Her magic is supposed to be locked away, for both her safety and the world's. How was she able to bless anyone?"

"Oh." Ami thought for a moment. "We'll have to keep an eye on her, then."





Blossom Apartments, Ottawa, ON, Canada
12:02pm, December 23, 2016


"I have a question, Niiko states."

Mikoto raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"

"It's a statement that functions as a request for information, but that isn't important right now."

"Did you just make a joke?"

"Yes. Was it a good one?"

"It's a bit cliched, but it's still funny. What did you want to know?"

"When are you planning on telling everyone else that you are still linked to the Misaka Network?"

"Do they need to know?"

"I suppose not, Niiko replies."

"Then we don't need to let them know."
--
Rob Kelk

Sticks and stones can break your bones,
But words can break your heart.
- unknown
RE: [IC][Story][Arc 1] Rob's as-yet-untitled sidestory #9
#5
Retconning proceeds... slowly, but there are very little in the way of new stories being written.

The text in blue in this scene is being replaced:

(10-21-2018, 09:04 PM)robkelk Wrote: Washuu's lab, Westwoods Apartments, San Antonio, TX, USA
5:11pm, December 22, 2016


"This is the best Christmas present ever! Or Startica present. Or..."

"We get the idea, Washuu-chan." Rob hoped his interruption was enough to nudge Washuu's enthusiasm into a useful channel.

Luckily, it was. "This is the first time I've ever been able to get before-and-after scans of somebody who's gone through the ultimate recreation process! Thank you, Rob-san!"

"So, what did I come out as?"

Washuu's mood shifted as if somebody has mentioned Washuu's Pore to her face. "I don't know. You're not an esper, or a god or demigod, or a demon, or a mage, or anything other than human as far as I can tell."

"A mutant? A metahuman?"

"Both of those terms beg the question. Since I can't give a name to what you are, I'll describe you instead. You have psychokinetic powers over dihydrogen monoxide, but nothing else. The nanomachines that I had injected into you are nowhere to be seen, but their effects are still ongoing in your body. You're also substantially more able to tolerate trauma, temperature extremes, and radiation."

"'I'm tough. I can take it.' I remember thinking that while I was trying to rescue Hyoga - or while I thought I was trying to rescue her."

"And your will influenced your alteration. Other than what I've described, you're a baseline human. Oh, and your changes are at the genetic level, and they're inheritable." Washuu turned to Hyoga. "As for you, I need to call in an expert."

Hyoga's cellphone rang once. She pulled it out of her pocket and frowned at the lack of caller information on the screen. Before she could say anything, the lens of the phone's camera started to glow... and Peorth stepped out of the camera. "I'll save you a call, Washuu."

"Please, call me Washuu-chan!"

"Is that the wish you want to make? If you deserve a wish, you'll only get one, ever."

"No. No, it isn't."

"All right, Washuu. You've already run your tests." Peorth wasn't asking. "Go ahead and tell her what you know, and I'll fill in the missing pieces that I can reveal."

"Right. Hyoga, in your current form, you're a normal 18-year-and-one-day-old girl. Well, normal for your friends; you picked up a few abilities when your body was put together. You've taken the translation effect that Belldandy placed on all of the displacees and generalized it; if there's a language on Earth that you don't understand, nobody speaks it any more. You have Mikoto's electromagnetic shield, and 1/64th of her genetic pattern, too. You have Rob's durability, resistance, longevity, and 1/64th of his genetic pattern. Nobody's going to hurt you except with an area attack."

Hyoga looked at Rob with a smile on her face. "We're barely related!"

"And I see your hormones are working normally for a baseline human. I also spotted 1/64th of Usagi's genetic pattern in your makeup; I think you might have copied her good luck. I don't recognize the other 61/64ths of your DNA pattern. As for your angelic form... I'm at a loss."

"Which is where I take over." Peorth turned to Hyoga. "Would you transform, please?"

She did, and her largest wings touched the ceiling. Washuu blinked. "That roof's 50 meters high. What kind of angel are you?"

Peorth donned a pair of glasses and looked Hyoga over, very carefully. "Much like your human form, your angelic form draws on a mix of sources. I see something of Noble Scarlet in you. I'm surprised you chose her instead of one of the more powerful goddesses' angels."

"I didn't choose anyone, at least not consciously."

"Pardonnez-moi, mademoiselle. I also see a bit of Aiwass in you, but that looks like it was in you before your re-creation. You have other kinds of angels in your makeup... Oh! I see how they fit together now! You're a guardian. Not a cherub, but you have their ability to keep track of those who needs your protection. Not a goddess's angel, but you reflect the souls of your chosen bondmates the way they do and they reflect your soul. I could go on if you needed to know, but, alas, you don't need to know. But I'll tell you this: you have discharged Garm's geas on you."

"Garm's hold is gone?"

Peorth turned to Rob. "Over her, yes. Not over you. You told Belldandy that you accepted your geas willingly, you foolish boy. You have to be the hero for the rest of your life."

He grinned. "There are worse fates, milady Peorth."

"At least you're getting the hero's reward along with the hero's burden."

"What reward would that be?"

"Your reward has at least four names that I can see, and maybe more. I'll tell you three: Mii, Ami, and Hyoga."

"My loves. I hope your phrasing is poetic, and they aren't my property. And... oh, dear... I'm to have another?"

"They are not your property, and you are not their property. And you will have at least one more; the one I can see has not yet realized what love is. And now I must go; I'm a very busy goddess." Hyoga's phone's camera lens glowed again, and Peorth disappeared into the light.


"But..." Hyoga sighed. "How do I do those things she said I can do?"

"We'll worry about that later," Washuu replied. "Do you two want to stay for dinner?"

Rob smiled. "Sasami's cooking? I'd be an idiot if I were to decline."

"It's that good?"

"Some of her recipes are better than Makoto's. But before we go..."

Washuu sighed. "What do you want?"

"I just want to know how long I can expect to live, assuming I don't take any undue risks."

"You're a Hero with a capital H; taking undue risks is in the job description. But I expect you'll both live to see at least your three-hundredth birthdays, just like Mii. Maybe you'll last longer, maybe you'll be hit by a battle-cruiser tomorrow." Washuu started closing computer windows, then stopped. "I never did find out what you all want for Christmas."

Hyoga took Rob's arm and snuggled close. "What I want, only Rob can give me."

Washuu looked at the couple, then sighed. "You can answer Sasami yourself, then."

Replace the blue text above with the text below:

Quote:"At least you're getting the hero's reward along with the hero's burden."

"What reward would that be?"

"Your reward has four names. I'll tell you three: Mii, Ami, and Hyoga."

"My loves. I hope your phrasing is poetic, and they aren't my property. And... oh, dear... I'm to have another?"

"They are not your property, and you are not their property. And you will have one more; the one I can see has not yet arrived in what you call the Metacontinuity. And now I must go; I'm a very busy goddess." Hyoga's phone's camera lens glowed again, and Peorth disappeared into the light.
--
Rob Kelk

Sticks and stones can break your bones,
But words can break your heart.
- unknown


Forum Jump:


Users browsing this thread: 1 Guest(s)