Disclaimer:
This is a work of fanfiction based on characters from the Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha series of manga and anime. Any similarities to persons living or dead, or actual events are purely coincidental. A plot bunny inspired this work after I had a chat with the very excellent author, Phoenixnext. This is a complete self-indulgence created to stretch my writing muscles and I am rusty. This is also my very first work of fanfiction and is an uber/AU. It contains unapologetic and graphic depictions of LGBTQA+ relationships. I have no beta nor editor. Proceed at your own risk. Without further ado, I present -
Raging Storm
(Begun Oct 8th 2023)
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The almost inaudible cycling of central air-conditioning hummed softly in the dim confines of a sprawling apartment. Anaemic shafts of false dawn's trickery crept fingers of struggling light across sinfully soft leather furnishings, stirring a lone figure laid stiffly in the middle of a vast waterbed. It was set in a shadowed alcove safe from the possibility of the sun's direct glare. Eyes shaded colourless from the dark opened.
The blaring echo of sirens took their time to recede from the figure's dreams, and if she closed her eyes, she was certain the glare of blinking red and white would play out in her mindscape once more. She took a moment to regain her bearings, soaking in the desolate quiet of the reality surrounding her. It was vastly preferable to the memories of chaos.
Chest rising in a fully drawn breath, the figure rose, slightly lacking in grace. 'Pushed a bit too hard last night.' Aware of her temporary limitations, she stood to her full height and stretched, groaning softly as her spine popped. Feeling a bit better for her effort, she drifted, feet bare, to the bathroom. Smart lights led a half-pace before her, embedded tastefully into the floor, programmed to provide safe passage to anyone moving around in less than ideal natural light.
Rote movements swept up her silken mass of auburn locks into a simple ponytail, its end brushing the top swell of her bottom, allowing her free reign to perform her morning ablutions. Bloodshot eyes deepened to a violet hue stared back at her from the fog-less mirror, the glass lighting around its perimeter when she had approached. She smirked at her reflection, "Morning." No answer to the feminine drawl was forthcoming, the speaker expecting none.
Used to the familiar silence, her eyes instead fell to the faint bruises littering the sinewy expanse of her clavicle and broader than average shoulders. 'Good thing the monkey suit will hide those,' she thought, already dismissing them from her mind as she bent over to splash the last vestiges of sleepiness from her person.
Refreshed, the woman padded into a vast walk-in closet, absently girding herself in jogging shorts cut tight and high to her athletic form. A sports bra followed by a loose tank completed her ensemble, all in shades of white and cobalt blue. Pulling her tail through the back of a baseball cap, she tugged it down to shade her eyes from the sun's greater efforts to cast molten lines of gold across the landscape.
Azure glance flickering past the apartment's north-facing floor to ceiling windows, she noted the angle of light streaming in from the right and nodded; she was in good time. "Play messages." She intoned clearly in deference to the AI's still not up to standard voice recognition software. A sterile, emotionless female voice responded:
Yes, my Master. Messages, two, playing first. From: Nakajima, G. Nine twenty-three, PM.
An unwelcome purr echoed within the confines of her sterile apartment, walls and shelves devoid of any personal effects, "Hey Sweetcheeks, where were you last night? You promised I could cash in on my rain-check. Call me."
Blue eyes rolling, the woman spoke, "Reply message one, 'Sorry, Ginga. Work, you know how it is. Call you when I can.' A faint sound indicated her response was sent. "Play message two."
Yes, my Master. Messages, two, playing second. From: Yagami, H. Two twelve, AM.
"Nano-chan, I need you on the Testarossa account. The shareholders are breathing down my neck about showing growth. Can ya believe it? Growth? In this fucking climate?! Strip-mine the org if you have ta, hold a goddam yard sale, I don't care. I need the numbers for Suzu-chan. There's a fat bonus in it for ya if you come through, and I know ya will, ain't no shark I got better than-"
The playback paused, the inflectionless voice cutting in, "Incoming video call, Yagami, H."
In the midst of tying her shoelaces, Nanoha huffed a put-upon sigh, blowing the fetching fall of her fringe out of her eyes. "Answer." She tried to ignore the tenseness already building at the base of her neck, heralding what she knew was a mothering migraine.
"Nano-chan! I knew you'd be up at this godforsaken hour! Wait, where are you?"
Nanoha directed her voice up to the receiving mic, "Tying my laces, Haya-chan, give me a sec." Hopping up and testing the fit of her shoes, the pony-tailed woman shifted within range of the camera.
"Be still my heart. Who else in TSAB would believe our White Devil would look this good in sportswear? Love the abs." A vivacious brunette with a pageboy cut cooed in delight at what she saw.
"Ha, ya, tayyy," Drawing out her boss' name, Nanoha shot the CEO a droll look, one finely arched eyebrow lifting, "Does HR need another report filed against you?"
The brunette pouted, "Mou! I was an intern back then! A youthful indiscretion!" The easy banter tapered as Hayate's expression took on a serious cast, "You got my message?"
Deciding to get her pre-run stretches done since she was tied up, Nanoha nodded, "Full throttle, full power? I thought you wanted to salvage something of a functioning subsidiary…"
The CEO did her best to ignore the lithely fit form moving gracefully on her screen, "Plans change. Get down there today, before they can clean house."
Giving a light grunt of assent, Nanoha's mind began parcelling out the many ducks she needed in a row to get the best possible result for her corporate overlords. "Let you know when I'm done."
"Atta girl. You know you're my favourite White Devil of TSAB, right?" Relief threaded through Hayate's warm voice.
A faint snort revealed how much credence Nanoha gave that declaration, "I'm also the only White Devil you have," she pointed out drily.
"Don't sweat the small details! Right, I'll catch ya on the flip-side! Love ya!" Blowing Nanoha a cheeky kiss, Hayate ended the call. Immediately, the full weight of her friend's ask slammed onto Nanoha's shoulders. She hated being this good at ruining lives.
Exhaling a silent sigh, the woman named Nanoha fished her smartwatch from its charging bay. Strapping it and her smartphone on, she slipped on her earpieces with practised ease and strolled out onto the boardwalk just a short walk down from her apartment's front exit.
Starting down the broad path built into the perimeter of her compound, she fell into a swift, easy rhythm, her rubber-soled feet eating up ground effortlessly. In the horizon, cloud cover clung stubbornly to the edges of where anchored pleasure crafts met still waters, a futile attempt to deny the sun its rightful place.
Her fingers tapped a familiar sequence on her phone and she waited. The buzz of her call rang thrice before being answered, "Hey Boss, what's up?" The tinny voice of her strike team's spearhead answered.
"Tea, the Testarossa account. I want the works. Noon. I'm heading down myself."
A short silence denoted the surprise her request had garnered. The distinct scrape of castors sounded as her subordinate switched workstations, "Got it. Hey Subaru, quit yer snoring, La Jefa called…" The call terminated amidst the noise of clattering keystrokes, and all she heard were gulls calling overhead, the dull pounding of the surf interlacing with the sound of her feet. Calling up her running playlist, populated with the thumping beat of Balearic trance, she squared her shoulders and got down to the serious business of trying to outrun her dreams.
Streaming perspiration, Nanoha ended her run 6:30AM sharp, finishing off her fifteenth circuit around the small islet her home was situated on. She pulled up to the front of her home, sneakered feet scraping over stray bits of gravel that had escaped the neat footpath leading up to her home. Waiting there in a mini golf-cart was a tow-headed youth sporting a shock of red hair. He held up a cobalt blue thermos, a small towel and a paper bag that emitted a mouthwatering scent of freshly steamed Char Siew Bao.
"Morning Erio, thanks. How's Caro?" Accepting the offerings, Nanoha paced to cool off while cracking open the thermos to pour a judicious finger of the deliciously rich, upsized helping of Vietnamese coffee from within. She knocked it back like a shot, eyes lidding as she felt the warm drink slip down her throat.
The corner of his eyes crinkling, Erio ducked his head, always pleased when others asked after his fiancée, "Great, she's been on a dim sum kick lately, hence the buns. She wants your feedback."
Towelling her face dry, Nanoha threw the young man a lopsided grin, nodding, "Sure will. Send her my regards. I'll try to stop by one of these Sundays. I've got a hankering for some shrimp dumplings if she's up for it."
Brightening, Erio nodded eagerly, "Most welcome to, Miss Takamachi! She's been working on getting her Har Gao right, says the crystal skin wrap needs to be thinner to be counted a success." Both he and Caro were working their way through university on the mainland, helping out at one of the compound's many dining establishments. Erio ran errands for residents for extra change, this being one of his duties, providing Nanoha with her morning ambrosia and a light repast after her daily runs. He never missed a morning, save for one time when he had been laid low with a bad case of stomach flu. That was when Nanoha got to meet Caro, a sweet woman completely devoted to Erio and determined to make her way through college by his side.
Admiring their work ethic, Nanoha ensured Erio's work for her was well-compensated, tipping heavily whenever she dropped by their workplace, a quiet kindness that was not lost on the couple.
Waving to the lad, Nanoha made her way back in, carefully depositing her booty on the smooth white marble of her kitchen island. Shower done and hair dried, Nanoha checked her reflection in the full length mirrors of her wardrobe. 'Dress to your intentions.' The gravelly tones of her father sounded in the back of her mind as she dusted invisible lint from her shoulder.
A long-sleeved white silk blouse draped itself luxuriously over her fit frame, the hint of elegant ruffles peeking out from the sleeves of her sharply tailored navy blue suit jacket. The same ruffles trailed up the middle length of her torso, terminating just below the hollow of her throat, where a simple pink diamond heart pendant twinkled gently on a thin rose gold chain. Her only jewellery. Sheer white stockings clad her shapely legs, the tops disappearing into her matching navy blue knee-length pencil skirt, its slit rising only a few inches on the side.
She gave herself a wry twist of her lips, "Guess I'm killing today," she whispered with a hint of regret. Scooping up her laptop and Erio's offerings, she slipped into patent leather low-heeled black pumps and left her apartment through the back entrance, where an adjoining three car garage was located. Dropping her things on the passenger side of her Audi A8, Nanoha revved up the luxury car's engine, warming it for the coming drive.
The time on her dash glowed 7:15am. Directing her vehicle with ease down the causeway built over the calm waters of Singapore's shores, she settled into her drive, the familiar strains of Frou Frou's only album playing softly in the background. Hearing her phone buzz, she answered it over her car's system. Sounding fuller over the surround speakers in the car, Tea's voice came through.
Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.
"They have shit for security." Nanoha stifled a laugh at the plain affront in her staff's voice. "Pulled you everything, check your inbox."
"Thanks Tea, type you in a few." Musing how far her ex-interns had come, Nanoha pulled into her reserved parking spot, a short walk from the imposing entrance of the TSAB Southeast Asian headquarters. The deserted, mausoleum-like lobby echoed in time with her steps and Nanoha threw security a friendly wave, scanning herself in. Her precise steps clipped their way to the side elevator reserved for department heads. It was a full two hours before the rest of the office staff would stream in and she enjoyed the quiet before the storm.
"Good morning, Miss Takamachi," the quiet greetings from various cleaning staff still lingering in the corridors were a commonality and her cool blue gaze warmed in silent acknowledgement of each janitor she came across.
Laptop tucked under one arm, thermos and paper-bag in her free hand, the automatic tinted glass doors leading to Operations' corporate offices granted her entry in the area holding her executive assistant's work area, and her own office. She cracked a small smile to find her E.A. already hard at work fielding the many people demanding her boss' attention this early in the morning.
"Morning, Vita, how's the circus?" The diminutive figure of her executive assistant seemed to take up more space than her petite frame would suggest.
Making a sound of disgust, Vita Wolkenritter's fingers flew across her keyboard as she typed another coldly polite reply to what, to her mind, was a dumb request. "Only sixteen pages today. Guess everyone's holding their breath to see what you do with That Account. Hayate's holding off the board so you can get that settled in peace."
"Ah." So word that the CEO's pet had charge of the account was already out. Knowing it would just be more fuel for jealous rumours that she could not do anything about, Nanoha ignored the dull throb niggling at the base of her skull, once more feeling the weight of responsibility pressing down on her.
Compassionate eyes peered up at Nanoha, Vita sensing there was more riding on this than her boss' usual reputation for a takeover job well done. "Tea dropped off something for you," was all she said, tone mild. Eyes following her absently nodding boss as the strikingly beautiful but aloof woman sauntered into the hallowed depths of her private office. The door behind the executive swung closed, clearly displaying a matte gold plaque on its front.
Takamachi Nanoha
Executive Vice President, Operations
Vita shook her head a little. "Damn, Hayate." she mumbled without heat.
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Strands of flaxen gold tumbled through cold fingers as a woman buried her head in her hands. Situated in a small side office, the title plaque proudly declared, Ass. Vice President - Ops in fancy script, had pride of place pinned to the side of the office occupant's desk's pegboard wall. Pictures taken of friends and colleagues littered the pegboard, giving warmth to the desk's surroundings, though curiously, the occupant herself was never seen in the pictures. Plants in various stages of growth lined the ledge behind her office chair, droplets glistening to show daily care had been rendered, regardless of the occupant's current state of mind.
"Gods dammit, Alicia…" The words warred with the gentle dulcet timbre of the woman's voice. Gone. Her father's legacy was gone in one generation of mismanagement. They did not swim with the big fish, but they kept themselves afloat, taking more specialised projects that built on the name of her mother's genius accomplishments. But then her father had passed, rendering her mother a cold husk of her former self, more concerned with appearances and status, than the actual well-being of her children.
A few too many bad deals this past fiscal year, coupled with the strain of the pandemic's ripple effects, proved more than their modest holdings could endure. In one fell swoop, their struggling organisation had been scooped up, and by the megalith that was TSAB no less. Crimson eyes strained from reading charts through the night, trying to find a way to save the livelihoods of over three hundred people, closed in defeat. Maybe, just maybe, she could plead their case before whatever devil was sent to devour Testarossa Inc.
Her intercom beeped. Pressing the ancient device to receive, she waited with dread building in her tight chest, "Fate… they're here."
The delicate line of her jaw clenched as she noted the time. 11:00AM. An hour ahead of schedule. Those vultures wasted no time. Hastily gathering up her printouts, she tried to tidy up her casual Friday look. A simple black short-sleeve top over khaki pants, her usual office wear, didn't feel like adequate armour for the battle to come. Alicia was nowhere to be found, probably getting drunk in a local dive. Fate wouldn't put it past her elder identical twin to get smashed before noon, that was for sure.
Slipping her low-ankle socks-clad feet into her ballet pumps, she hurried to the front desk to receive…
"I don't need an appointment, Miss…"
Rounding the corner, Fate heard a velvet alto, thinly encasing a will of implacable steel, before her eyes beheld its source. A trim form looking every inch the corporate shark she expected, came into view. What she did not expect was the curious flutter in her belly, when she took in the high cheekbones, styled auburn tresses and deep azure eyes of her executioner. Chalking it up to nervousness, she interjected herself between the hostile receptionist and their menacing visitor.
Tasteful hints of make-up accentuated the natural beauty of the stranger, and she fought back the urge to shiver as piercingly sharp eyes raked her from head to toe, the woman's flinty gaze framed by impossibly long lashes.
"Testarossa, Ali… no," The finely coiffed head tilted thoughtfully, "Testarossa, Fate." That same alto almost rattled off her sister's name, before correcting to hers, as if by rote from a report.
Her initial surprise at being so easily told apart from her identical twin was shunted aside in favour of the calamity at hand. Even their friends had trouble telling them apart sometimes. But, this was no friend. Firming her resolve, she drew herself up, leaning heavily on the few inches she had on her enemy.
"Indeed," she stated coolly, "And you are…?" A curiously callused hand stretched out towards her, and in a moment of hyperfixation, she noted the manicured nails were sensibly short, buffed to a healthy pink, but unpainted. She took it, forgetting to be self-conscious about her cold fingers. Warm. Warmer than she had ever felt, the stranger's hand gave hers a light squeeze. She felt every single callous and bump.
"Takamachi Nanoha. Pleased to meet you."
Fate's hand remained limp in the other's grasp, the melody of her voice chill like a January breeze, "I fear I am unable to return the sentiment, Miss Takamachi." What did she have to lose? The woman had been nothing but civil, but this was personal. 'Whatever. I won't have a job by today's end anyway.' Jaw firming, she met the woman's violet gaze with her own, defying this shark to call her out for her insubordination.
They were gathering an audience. Nanoha could feel the negative emotions beating palpably at her psyche, with the most hostility pouring off of the statuesque blonde facing her. Icy chips of ruby stared her down, daring her to do her worst. Used to such tableaux, the executive remained unfazed and she released the blonde's hand, silently adjusting her initial impression at the woman's combative words. Curious, a small corner of her mind studied the faint regret over the feeling that maybe, they could have been friends, if not for this.
She was charmingly dishevelled, her casual chic outfit giving off cute co-ed vibes, despite Nanoha having read her file and knowing they were of similar age. The baggy cut of her top hid her figure, though the pants she wore did hint at slim legs that went on forever.
"Indeed," she murmured, in a faintly mocking mimicry of Fate's earlier response. Even white teeth flashed in a tight smile that did not reach her blue eyes. Mild though her voice was, she knew the threat of her mere presence was enough to warn the other woman that she was treading on thin ice.
Throwing caution to the wind, Fate gave an imperious toss of her head, the silken waterfall of her golden locks shimmering under the harsh glare of the office's ceiling lights. "We were expecting you after lunch." Not quite accusing, her gentle soprano left the sentence hanging.
"Early bird catches the worm, as they say." Unsure of where the urge came from, Nanoha deliberately chose words that would surely rile the gorgeously chilly blonde facing her down.
Eyes the shade of the finest Bordeaux red narrowed behind unaccountably cute horn-rimmed glasses. Nanoha could read the sentiment behind the gesture. 'More like a vulture to a carcass.'
Not wanting a scene, the Testarossa woman addressed the onlookers, her voice far warmer, "Back to your stations, people. We still have accounts to service, no matter who owns us. I'll show Miss Takamachi around." Glancing back to the woman, she wordlessly invited Nanoha past reception.
Surreptitiously casting glances at the woman at her side, Fate did her best to study her as unobtrusively as possible. 'A leopard.' That was the animal her mind conjured. Her gait was smooth and powerful, giving away the fact that the woman didn't spend all her time behind a desk. Unbidden, a faint wisp of her perfume drifted to her nostrils, earthy and rich, with hints of cinnamon and muted spice.
For her part, Nanoha appeared unfocused, allowing the blonde to take the lead. In actuality, she was using her increased peripheral vision to take in the mood of the office. It was one of her skills, the ability to peg the mood around her in an instant. There was apprehension, as she would expect, guilt, even. Oddly, there was still hope, despite how dire things were on paper, people still believed in the figure leading her through the office. Believed that she would protect them.
Strange, the adrenaline of such encounters was not there. Instead, a growing reticence brewed behind Nanoha's shuttered gaze. Somehow, she was not looking forward to shattering the people's belief in their… Princess. A faint furrow marred her smooth brow and she pondered what hold the Testarossa dynasty still had on their wayward scions. She made a mental note to dig further after the day was done. If it would ever be done. She paused her forward momentum.
"I believe the labs are that way, Miss Testarossa." Her cool alto made it clear that it was where she wanted to go.
Cursing under her breath, Fate felt a greater apprehension tighten around her chest. The woman knew. How?! Lips thinning, she spun on her heel to change directions. "If you know so much, why did you even have to come down?" she asked tightly, cold hands clenching her printouts as if trying to squeeze lifeblood out from dead trees. Lifeblood to keep her father's memory alive.
"Miss Yagami insisted on… a personal touch." Not meaning to sound flippant, Nanoha threw the blonde a glance meant to be good-humoured. Instead, she found those ruby chips glinting back at her. The woman seemed to gather herself up in righteous indignation, looming over the TSAB monkey in a suit, as Fate's mind so aptly dubbed, "These are real people, with real families, real debts and obligations…"
Nanoha noted that the blonde's impassioned words never lost their cultured accent, even as she built herself up like a quiet volcano, the threat of a pyroclastic blast behind each softly ground out word. Secretly thrilled to meet someone not intimidated by her, Nanoha simply let the woman carry on. It was just business, nothing personal. Oh, but it seemed highly personal to this woman. That's right, she was a Testarossa. T, for Tempestuous.
Finding her lack of fear refreshing, Nanoha dipped her head in silent apology, "My obligations are no less real, Miss Testarossa." Eyes dropping to the printouts the woman had clutched to her chest, her sharp gaze knew instinctively what the woman would try to base her arguments off of. Coming to a stop by the labs, she swept her eyes over the state of the art equipment populating every square foot of the section.
Surprised that the leopard, no, vulture would even deign to consider her feelings, Fate pulled up to an abrupt stop, refusing to allow this Takamachi woman free reign to prowl her domain.
"You do good work, Miss Testarossa," Nanoha began smoothly, "But the overheads don't justify…" Refusing to have this discussion in the open, Fate hastily grabbed the TSAB woman's arm and pulled her into her nearby office, shutting the door behind them.
"We can make it justified," Fate grated out, forcefully, but at low volume.
Shocked to be manhandled thus, more so that her usual response to remain unmoved never manifested, Nanoha was still able to shift her balance to follow the blonde's pull without incident. A quick glance around the cosy room, the opposite of the surgical sterility of her own sea view office, gave her a little more insight to the woman before her.
Not really one for physical touches, Fate immediately released the executive's arm as if burned, the warmth of Takamachi's hand no match to that of her arm. Mustering her attack, Fate laid out the printouts she had been carrying, ready to bring up all the points she had been determined to make before their new corporate master. 'Or Mistress.' Her brain unhelpfully supplied.
The thick fall of her adversary's auburn mane shook in time to Nanoha's rejection. "I've seen the books, Miss Testarossa." Her alto was clipped while she did her best to shake off how nice it felt to feel the blonde on her arm. "Your staff operate at a 46.3% efficiency, you teeter from blown budget to blown budget, there hasn't been pick-up of your latest innovations in four quarters." Her torso angled to face the blonde squarely, "We…"
"We just need time!" Fate slapped the piles of paper on her desk, discarding pride to fight for her people. "HR has implemented clinics, Comms has a new ad package in the works!" Pulling up her supporting data on screen, her infinite pools of red compelled Nanoha to LOOK.
The executive's azure gaze flicked dismissively over the numbers. Nanoha had already memorised the package Teana had left her - Every major player had been picked apart by her cyber hounds, head-shots included in a neat little bundle of damning evidence. Every dubious claim, down to petty cash claims for someone's dog food, it was all there. 'Funny how the blonde's head-shot gave little indication of the passion that seems to ooze from every pore.' She thought.
She loved her job. She loved her people. 'Oh, Princess…' Against her will, Nanoha's eyes traced over the painstakingly compiled figures. Finance was always thorough in their assessment, but… the number crunchers tended not to see the forest for the trees.
Fate watched as sharp incisors nibbled thoughtfully on a lush bottom lip, marring the woman's perfectly applied lip gloss. The TSAB woman's expression was still one of doubt, however. Desperation turned into anger, "I know three hundred people is nothing to TSAB," she forced the quaver out of her voice, snarling, "What do you even know about the everyday man? With your thousand dollar suits and luxury apartments?!" She thought of the 2IC in HR, her pregnancy was tough-going, and losing her company insurance would absolutely beggar her. Or about Mr. Foo, the elderly guard's wife just had a nasty tumble and was bedridden, both would lose the roof over their heads!
"If you would just give us a chance…" Hating herself, Fate felt her throat closing, voice growing thick.
"Forty-eight hours."
Huh? Blinking back hot tears that blurred her vision, she looked up, head previously bowed, to stare at what she thought was an unfeeling automaton. Somehow, through tear-clouded eyes, she could still clearly make out the unflinching gaze of the other woman. Was there a hint of weariness there? She was sure it had to tire the woman out to show the slightest smidge of compassion or sympathy to anyone.
Steeling her resolve, Fate straightened, chin lifted haughtily, "I beg your pardon?"
Left arm slung across her middle, right elbow propped up on her hand and cutting an elegantly deadly figure, Nanoha tapped her perfectly buffed finger to her Cupid's bow lips, "Give me something concrete in forty-eight hours." Dipping a calloused hand into her laptop bag's side pocket, she drew out a card. At first meaning to drop it on the blonde's desk, she instead offered the blonde the respect she was due. Nanoha's wrist flicked, presenting the embossed identifier to Fate. "If it doesn't work out, it's nothing personal."