I'm a real girl!

[all_wound_up]

Who: Nano Shinonome and YOU
Where: Capricorn Ward, Park
When: 13th Hour, the night of October 23rd
What: Nano tries out some newly awakened powers
Warnings: Standard combat related warnings

[Nano has had a very busy month, between Geartopia and finally completing the quest she'd been given by Caroline several months ago.  She's grown and learned so much since coming to Hinoto-Ri, and apparently all of that development was enough to awaken new abilities that she never even knew were sleeping inside her.  Eager to try them out for herself, she's come alone to the wide expanse of the park in the Capricorn Ward to fight some demons.

Fortunately, the kind she was most curious about showed up first, and Nano can be found fighting a group of Heartless straight out of the Kingdom Hearts universe.  She's done this before, but this time there's something a little different about her fighting style - in place of the replica keyblade she'd been given by Naminé, the one she holds now is very much the genuine article.  Adorned with clockwork gears, there's no mistake that this blade is very much an expression of Nano's own soul.

She spends some time darting between low-level Heartless dispatching them with her new weapon until a few larger ones show up.  At this point, Nano spends a moment's concentration to call out her Soul Persona - unmistakably so, considering she summons it directly instead of with the floating tarot card common to Velvet Room Personas.  However, this time instead of the familiar wooden puppet Pinocchio, the puppetmaster Geppetto appears in his place, lashing out with a carving knife in sync with Nano's own strikes.

Clearly, this little robot has done quite a bit of changing over the past year - a far cry from the scared and unsure little clockwork girl that arrived in the streets of Hinoto-Ri last October.]

Comments

[all_wound_up]

But you're not my enemy!

[Nano is so charmingly naive and forthright about stuff like this. She's caught off guard, but only momentarily as she turns to face Riku again. With only that single moment's hesitation, she mounts another attack.]

[resipiscent]

No, but if this were a real fight I would be. Or someone would, right?

[He can't help but smile at that line, though. Nano's probably got almost as much light in her as Kairi. Riku blocks without trickery this time, letting Nano's strike connect.]

[all_wound_up]

I guess you're right.

[Everyone has a lot of light in them until they learn the ways of the world and darkness creeps in. Nano hasn't been active for long enough to have had the weight of the world wear on her yet - in fact, she's gotten so much support from her friends that if anything, the light inside her shines even brighter than before. It's that sort of inner strength that she brings to bear every time she picks up her keyblade or calls forth her Persona, and she pushes back against Riku's own keyblade with that firm resolve.]

[resipiscent]

[That's what he likes about her, though, the fact that she's so bright. He likes people who are full of light -- it helps his own shine, he feels, chases away the darkness for a little while. Riku blocks once more, then lowers his blade.]

Nano, there's something you should know about the Keyblade, okay?

[all_wound_up]

[Nano blinks as she lowers her own blade.]

Hm? What is it?

[resipiscent]

It's just that, even though it's the only thing that can kill a Heartless permanently, they're drawn to it. They chase it. That's why I'm always out here fighting them and not many other monsters -- they seek it out. In the day it's not a problem, but during the 13th Hour, things can get a little wild.

So I guess what I'm trying to say is, be careful, all right?

[all_wound_up]

[Nano listens carefully, nodding slowly as Riku finishes.]

I understand. I'll be careful.

[resipiscent]

Good. I'm sure you'll be safe, but I thought I should let you know, just in case.

[all_wound_up]

Thank you for the warning, Riku-san.