I'm Sorry.


Fate shadows Nanoha on her morning jog as she recovers from having her Linker Core stolen by Miss White. Sorries are said- on both sides.

Date: 2017-02-28
Pose Count: 13
Nanoha Takamachi 2017-02-28 22:02:52 72221
It has been a couple weeks since Hannah Sharpe, Miss White, stole Nanoha's Linker Core. Well, more specfically, Boris stole Nanoha's Linker Core while Nanoha was concentrated on trying to stop Hannah after she'd kicked Sakura to the dirt after she tried to get between herself and Miss White.

It was a sneaky, dirty trick- but effective.

It started hard. She was breathless during her usual morning running and drilling. And for the first week she wasn't able to use magic at all. Then it started coming back slowly. Yuuno was worried. Such training was hard even on a trained and veteran mage. But Nanoha was determined.

She'd gotten much better, but not quite one hundred percent still. She was still struggling on her run. She was determined to come out of this /stronger/ and thusly she was pushing herself. She didn't need to steal power. Miss White wanted to steal it. She wanted to /earn it/.

Thusly, down the sidewalk besides a little wooden fence- and the store fronts on the opposite side, getting ready to open for the spring and summer, Nanoha runs and pants and finally has to stop to catch her breath. She didn't take Yuuno this run, because Yuuno's been trying to force her to stop.

She didn't want to stop. She musn't stop.
Fate T. Waldia 2017-02-28 22:14:35 72222
    Word travels in the magical community. Even while busy on her mission to hunt down the Jewel Seeds, Fate is not as cold and callous as she tries to present herself as. Hearing what had happened to Na... That girl had come as something of a surprise.
    <<You should probably be glad, you know. It means she's out of the way a while longer.>> Arf's voice echoes in her mind. Fate is... There. Not where she can be seen though. Why? She's not quite certain herself. She just is.
    Takashi had told her to take a day off from killing herself with exhaustion on a fruitless hunt. There is no real exertion in looking down from the ledge of a nearby building overlooking Nanoha's running course, in her Barrier Jacket.
    She ignores her Familiar though. In fact she ignores the small voice in her head asking her just why she's even here now. Before realizing it's her own.
    [SEVENTYFIVE PERCENT, SIR.] Bardiche idly notes to Fate as though reading her mind.
    "Mn..."
Nanoha Takamachi 2017-02-28 22:32:52 72223
Nanoha Takamachi catches her breath. It takes her a moment, she starts running again. It doesn't look like she wants to, as she jogs. This is tiring. And long, but a strong linker core like Nanoha has needs time to build back up- and she intends to build it back up better. She gets about seven feet into the run when the device, in it's standby mode- the little marble-like form on a necklace around her neck- hidden under her shirt- beeps.

< Potential Signature >

Nanoha Takamachi stops and looks around. She doesn't see Fate by sight. < Wide Are- >.

Nanoha shakes her head. "No." she says. "Don't do that Raising Heart." she says.

She has a hunch. She starts running again. She wants to see if it follows. She's panting hard again as she runs. She whispers. 'See if it follows us.' to Raising Heart- as she continues running down the sidewalk.

A wind blows in from the ocean- giving a little chill to the area. Nanoha still powers through it.

Her hunch is Fate, but even if it /isn't/- surely if someone was going to attack her, they'd had done it by now- instead of waiting around long enough to potentially ping as a signal, right?

Or maybe it's someone really sure of themselves.
Fate T. Waldia 2017-02-28 22:43:01 72224
    No attack comes. At least not right now. But Fate isn't here to attack Nanoha in the first place. And that signal... Does follow. To the next ledge. Then a low roof. As far as Fate knows, she's being stealthy. For what manner of stealth she can perform.
    [CURRENT COURSE RISKS DETECTION.] Bardiche DOES warn her.
    "I'll be careful."
    [YES SIR.]
    It seems to be a good enoug hanswer for her faithful device as she follows the cours of Nanoha's run, keeping a slight distance at first. But sooner or later she's going to get daring. Or careless. But it's not like she's here to fight. Not right now.
Nanoha Takamachi 2017-02-28 22:56:18 72225
Nanoha keeps running. No attack. No one catching up. Just the sound of her heart beating and her breathing that is still ragged and hard. Raising Heart gives a quiet < Beep > to indicate that the signature is following. She finally stops and places her hands against the fence, because she indeed, still seventy five percent. She then turns around to look down the street behind her. No one, save for a passing car in the distance.

She then looks to the opposite side of the road. No one there. Stores are dark still.

Then to the rooftops above. Maybe she can see a shadow follow along, or maybe she doesn't. What she does do, is call out.

"I-f!" the stammer is because she is out of breath.

"If you just want to come out that's okay! I don't know why you're hiding!" she says.

"But if you're not here to fight..." she says.

"There's no need to hide." she calls out to.. as far as she knows, literarily nothing. She hopes someone is there. She hopes her hunch is right, just a little.
Fate T. Waldia 2017-02-28 23:09:18 72226
    With how early it is, it's a wonder anyone is out to stalk Nanoha like this. But the fact of the matter is... Nanoha gets up early? Fate stays up this late. But she's not taxing herself with searching all over the city like on a normal night. This is still kind of taking it easy. Right?
    Irrelevant. Reasing Heart beeps at Nanoha. Fate can't hear it from her distance- even thoug hshe had been carelessly closing the gap.
    [DETECTED.]
    It's all Bardiche needs to inform her to make the twintailed blonde click her teeth. She should probably take her leave now. Make an exit before Nanoha suspects anything further. She's not exactly sure what spurs her next decision.
    Boots click-click softly atop the nearest light post. Behind Nanoha. Bardiche is in Device Form in Fate's hand, scarlet eyes half-lidded. It's as much a chance to answer the other girl's question wordlessly as it is that Fate might go unnoticed on the off chance Nanoha doesn't look behind her.
Nanoha Takamachi 2017-02-28 23:29:36 72227
At this early, the lights are still on, and when Nanoha hears the click of boots behind her she turns around a little too fast, and dizzies herself just a little. There's no one ground level, but she does look upwards- as she sees. Fate.

There's that hopeful, happy look, but just for a moment. Fate'd know it from when she visited after Fate left her mother the first time. It's not a reaction that Nanoha is able to quell easily- but fast enough that it doesn't remain.

"Fate..." she says with a frown. "I don't have any Jewel Seeds. Or Lost Logia for you to take." she says.

"Unless you're here helping Miss White again? I'm not worth attacking again for that." she says. Indeed, Fate already got the read from Bardiche. Seventy Five percent. Seventy Four percent now. Sometimes it ticks down a percent every so often if Bardiche is paying attention. It isn't dropping like the mercury in a thermometer in the arctic though.

"So why are you following me?" she asks, with wide eyes. There's a hope in those eyes- of an answer she hopes for, but probably won't get. Not right now.
Fate T. Waldia 2017-02-28 23:49:08 72228
    With the lights on, Fate lite from beneath, Device in hand, with cloak fluttering, might be an intimidating sight. Small girl or not, the stoney expression on her face is shadowed ominously. It also makes it impossible to tell when she purses her lips in a fluttering moment of hesitant indecision on just how to answer. Because Nanoha turning around means Fate is now forced into this very awkward encounter.
    "No." It's sharp and terse reply, quick as a whip. Before the blonde stops herself there. She nearly shakes her head but stops herself, not opting to show Nanoha any sign of her reasoning in her body language.
    "That's not why." She speaks again after a few long beats, scarlet eyes lingering on the girl below her. She shows no sign of emotion nor reaction to the mention of Miss White, the very reason Nanoha is in this weakened state. It would be so easy to finish the matter while she is, too. Make her one less of an obstacle. Fate doesn't even have to kill her, just... Maim... But she's not here to be hostile. Not when crimson eyes finally turn to look aside- anywhere- away from Nanoha.
    "I'm sorry."
Nanoha Takamachi 2017-03-01 00:24:31 72229
Nanoha Takamachi isn't making for her device. She could still transform. She'd just be at a lower level of power. Probably not fight as long- and Fate kinda schooled her with that fight at the stadium, but also because Nanoha was so... confused. and frightened about what had happened with Fate. When she last saw her, she was even a little happy- and she brought cupcakes!- and her eyes were just a /little less/ sad- though they still longed for something. She knew what that something was.

Mom.

Then the next...

They're fighting over a Lost Logia. Like when they first met- and her eyes lost what they'd gained again.

This was probably the most upsetting. It's times like this Nanoha really wished that forced mind reading was a magical skill. So she could see what happened. What went wrong. Questioning Fate... she'd tried. It went no where.

She isn't here to take something from her? Or Fight her? Then why? To deliver a message?

'I'm Sorry'. Fate's body language speaks to her of.. something. Of frustration? shame? confusion? Whatever the case may be, she isn't looking her in the eye when she says it. It takes her a moment.

"Then why are you still doing this, Fate-chan...?" she asks. -chan.

"You obviously don't want to be doing this again! What's wrong!? D-did somebody do something to you?" yeah she's still panting. This whole mental state probably isn't helping any either, and that's obvious. She evens out at around seventy percent finally.
Fate T. Waldia 2017-03-01 00:44:51 72230
    A fight right now with an injured girl is not what Fate wants. She's making no hostile movements, herself. She's not quite sure what she would even actually do if Nanoha went for Raising Heart. And she is quietly thankful the girl does not.
    But yes. She is sorry. She has said as much. She has said it before. She will say it again as many times as it takes. But that girl... That girl asks too many questions. Her glove creaks softly as grip tightens on the shaft of her Device. Has Nanoha struck a nerve? ... No. The girl has simply hit the bulls eye.
    "I've already told you why." Fate says softly. "I can't disappoint my mother." The same answer she has given in the past. But then there's something else.
    "I don't want to have to hurt you. I don't want to hurt you." The girl starts to reveal a deeper layer beneath the frost before she stops herself. She puts her business face back on.
    "I'm glad you're recovering. But... Give up on the Jewel Seeds." She will only ask this once more.
    "Please..."
Nanoha Takamachi 2017-03-01 01:06:13 72232
Nanoha Takamachi frowns. It's the first thing out of her mouth. "No." she says. "You know I can't do that. Because I'm helping my friend recover them. Because they are /dangerous/ and anyone that wants to gather them to /use them/ is either planning something horrible with them, OR doesn't understand the actual danger they pose!" she says sternly

"I can't just stand by when more people get hurt by them." she says. "And I can't let your mother get them. Fate-chan." she says with determination.

She frowns. "I don't know what's going on Fate-chan, but you had the courage to stop once. I know you can do it again!" she says with wide eyes. Of course, Fate can't if she wants Arf to not 'be engulfed by a Jewel Seed'. Not that Nanoha knows this.

"..and if you can't..."

"I'm going to find out, even if you can't tell me." she says, more stern face. Then a wince.

Ow. Yeah. That little speech hurt to make. Not even emotionally. Her body is screaming at her to stop. Yeah. Maybe.. maybe it's time to go home after this talk.
Fate T. Waldia 2017-03-01 01:13:26 72233
    No.
    So forceful and resolute. Fate gave the chance to back out again. It would be so much easier- and less painful for both of them if Nanoha would just give up on the Jewel Seeds. But that settles it. She won't.
    Scarlet eyes close. Fate sighs.
    "Yes." Yes? "I know they're dangerous and..." She trails. "You don't know mother like I do... She's very caring and gentle she's just..." This is where Fate catches herself, a shivering breath allowing her to erect that frigid wall once more.
    "I was wrong in leaving her. And if you're going to keep getting in my way then I'll be forced to hurt you again." The girl states solemnly. It is not intended as a threat. It is promise. A truth that she dislikes with all her heart, but one she must abide by as she lifts off the light post and turns her back, already floating her way up towards the higher rooftops again.
    "I really am sorry."
Nanoha Takamachi 2017-03-01 01:15:40 72234
Nanoha looks up as Fate floats away. It's good. She's about to fall flat on her face if she lets her emotions burn any longer. She does say one thing.

"I'm sorry too, Fate-chan..." she says as she begins to turn back around and trudge back home at a more leisurely pace than a jog.