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Post by Astolfo on May 6, 2016 0:09:18 GMT
It’d been a while since he’d gotten all excited and dressed-up like this… far too long! But surely, that just meant he’d been storing power to make an occasion like this even more impressive! He’d done his research, too; although it had taken a few weeks of hassling Chaldea staff to get all the answers he wanted… not to mention a proper renting of the room for the evening. Oh, and managing to get a bunch of flowers in the middle of nowhere in Russia was a headache too! Thank goodness for magi! And then there was organising the food… the world might be virtual, but anything like had to be supplied! Honestly, his outfit was the least of his problems… of course, it was also his specialty, so that was just natural, right?!
And indeed, the little hero was dressed to impress – as per the customs of his nation, he had a black turtleneck sweater on alongside a little red beret; albeit with a short black skirt and his customary stockings instead of something more masculine. He’d even gotten dress shoes! No heels tonight though… he didn’t want to make his date feel too worried about being formal! Though, he had the feeling that he probably shouldn’t worry too much about that either… ah, but he couldn’t focus on that sort of thing! Bouncing on the balls of his feet; Astolfo was just so excited! A bouquet of pink roses waved from side to side in his arms along with his movements – for what they were worth, given the scale of his compatriot.
Standing before one of Chaldea’s disused hangar’s giant doors, the paladin gave an eager knock – while it resonated through the steel, the door intended for moving aircraft dwarfed him by at least tenfold… it was exciting in-of itself, really! Like going into some mountain king’s throne room… oh, maybe he should ask his date if she was someone like that? While the Servant had only finished her dossier lately, Astolfo gotten infatuated with just how different and wild the new face was after only a few meetings with her – he had to know more! So, here he was… yes, this would surely be his newest adventure!
It wasn’t like Astolfo hadn’t handled giants like Paula before; but admittedly this one was on something of bigger scale! And seemed quite a bit brighter. No offence to his old friend, of course! Maybe they’d meet again sometime, too… that would be wonderful. Yet, amongst so many Servants; few shone like Paula did! There might be demi-gods, divine spirits, kings and all kinds of other legends; but yet it seemed like monsters were the most fascinating of them all! Yes, this had to be Astolfo’s new quest – let’s get to know our new friends from top to bottom!
"Yoho, it’s me! Astolfo! Bonsoir! Whenever you’re ready, mademoiselle!”
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Post by Paula Bunyan on May 7, 2016 1:50:54 GMT
Oh boy oh boy oh boy. She'd barely even been summoned within the walls of Chaldea and she was already making dinner plans with new friends. All things considered, Paula's brief time in Chaldea had been more than enjoyable. Though she had never struggled to make friends in life, admittedly it had been a bit difficult to find things in common with the average joe in her lumberjack camps. Compared to that, Chaldea was an absolute breeding ground for the wild and zaniest that history had to offer. Magic swords, crazy spells, wild creatures, even people with personalities as big as her own! In fact, she was meeting one such person for a meal tonight. Though he was smaller than most (and that was saying something), even their short meetings thus far had been sufficient to convince Paula that he possessed the heart of a giant; not to mention a good sense of humor compared to many of the more dour sorts running around the facility.
Reaching for the ceiling of the hanger, the American giantess stretched a bit while she awaited the inevitable arrival of her dinner partner. Despite being covered in the form fitting bodysuit that had become so popular with heroes created in her country these days, she felt incredibly comfortable, almost as if she were simply wearing a second skin. Though she had done away with the mask, she could only hope that Astolfo wouldn't mind her not dressing up for this. Simply finding comfortable quarters in Chaldea was hard enough, let alone a dress. Then again, maybe it was for the best. It wasn't as if she had the slightest experience in feminine primping anyway. Honestly, if it had been up to her, she'd more likely than not choose a simple pair of worn in jeans and some good flannel.
As if on cue to rouse her from her musings, Paula her Astolfo's knocking echo throughout the hanger. Face illuminated with a gleeful smile, she bounded over towards the massive sliding doors, pausing to clear her throat before responding in a booming voice to carry through the steel structure separating them. "Fee-fi-foh-fum! I smell the blood of an Englishman!" she roared in mock anger, swiftly wrenching open the doors. Bent over low enough for her chin to rest on the ground, she found herself almost eye to eye with the pink-haired knight, still chuckling over her own silly joke. "Oh, and flowers too! Hiya Astolfo!" With her giant smile widening even more, she brought her right hand up alongside her head to give a casual wave of greeting, accidentally bumping one of her newly obtained horns in the process.
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Post by Astolfo on May 8, 2016 1:10:19 GMT
The thunderous approach of Astolfo’s date left the Rider bouncing on the spot a bit from the shuddering ground; awkwardly falling over backwards from the quaking – it probably should’ve been an obvious problem, but forethought really wasn’t one of his specialties. And that was probably putting it nicely. But, he still smiled – until that booming voice sung a familiar quote… err, now he was a bit worried! Someone knew he wasn’t French! It was a terrifying thought… the very idea that someone knew something about him that he tended to shout at people’s faces, but hadn’t had the pleasure of actually having him shout at their face! It was a nightmare! The tiny hero steeled himself for trouble…
Thankfully, as the doors were thrown open he was promptly distracted by a beaming face – Paula, hurrah! Hurrying back onto his feet, Astolfo awkwardly offered the flowers for a moment before realising that it probably wouldn’t be that practical for her to carry them, and deciding to just hang onto them for now. "Hey hey, Paulinator!” he replied, returning the wave – for what it was worth at this distance. He’d say they were eye-to-eye, but it was more like most of his body-to-eye. ”I figured something out here in Chaldea! So, no worries about getting all chilly outside! I promise it’ll be great!”
While briefly considering locking arms with the giant before realising once again that, yes, the giant was indeed a giant; the paladin danced about in front of his date as he took the lead ahead. Honestly, he would have liked to have held her hand or something, but… it was a bit difficult. He’d have to come up with something later! Maybe they could hold either end of a scarf or something? Ah, that’d look a bit like he was leading a dog or something, though… oof, thinking was hard. "We’ll be heading for Trismegistus! There’s a big service entrance they used back when they were moving parts in, so your height will be fine! It’s a bit of a walk from here, and it’s a bit disused, but it’ll be nice and quiet!”
Walking on ahead, ignorant to the fact that his partner’s great strides would no doubt leave him in dust despite his attempt at formality; the pink-haired hero’s words would indeed be true – at the back of one of the farthest hangars was a second door… albeit one that didn’t look in great condition. But, Astolfo was just as eager as ever… perhaps even more-so. "It’s a bit frosty, but the janitor-man said ‘Some explosives will do the trick!’. But, we’ve got something better than that, right? Give it a real superhero slam, Paula~!” shouted the boy excitedly, imitating a pair of pom-poms and a little cheer dance down below.
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Post by Paula Bunyan on May 13, 2016 21:48:18 GMT
Chuckling a bit at Astolfo's newest nickname for her, Paula excitedly watching him dance back and forth in front of her explaining the parameters of their date. Truth be told, she hadn't given any thought to the prep work that would need to go into organizing a dinner for someone of her size, let alone the fancy affair that Astolfo appeared to be dressed for. Maybe a picnic outside? No, sitting around in snowbanks would probably get uncomfortable a little too quickly to enjoy a nice meal, Heroic Spirits or not. Maybe they'd just eat here in the hanger? It was a bit boring but if it worked, who was she to complain, right? But nope. True to form, the ever-excited pink paladin came through with a third option simultaneously more complicated and far superior to any of the alternatives. And just think, all they had to do was blow through a wall or two and explore a musty old hallway that hadn't been used in who knew how long!
Following Astolfo's lead towards the massive doors in the rear section of the hanger, Paula was quick enough to catch on to the fact that the length of her stride would make this little walk a bit more complicated than it needed to be. So, taking a bit of initiative herself, she reached down and attempted to lift the smaller paladin up by the back of his shirt to set him on her shoulder. Assuming that the English royal consented to being carried a bit, it might simplify their conversations a bit. In the meantime, she was being presented with a rare opportunity to smash something with reckless abandon. Today was already shaping up to be a very, very good day.
"Hoho, you got it, Astolfo! I'm great at this kinda stuff!" she replied with a merry grin. Bringing back her right foot, the giantess took a deep breath before exhaling sharply while thrusting her leg forth with titanic force. Long established ice shattered in an instant while the thick metal doors buckled inward under the her power, warping and twisting to reveal the long unused pathway beyond. Whistling along in tune with the wind whipping through the recently opened hallway, Paula settled her hands on her hips and squared her shoulders in a confident pose. "Haha! How was that? Not bad eh?" she asked, sending a wink towards the pastel knight.
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Post by Astolfo on May 15, 2016 18:05:49 GMT
At first Astolfo was not quite so receptive to being lifted off his feet; awkwardly flailing in the air for a moment before resigning himself to being hoisted away from his beloved ground – only to be place on something even more beloved; someone pretty! While he took a moment to gain his proper balance, the paladin’s riding experience made him find his feet with relative ease; happily standing on his date’s shoulder. Ah, now this was what he loved! This was fun! Something so new and exciting! A whole new spin of romance… yes, it was exactly what he was after! Paula really was amazing.
And speaking of amazing; the pink-haired hero was left rattled as his lovely compatriot made a real show of shock and awe – the kick left the steel walls shuddering, while thick plates of ice crumpled to the floor as the doors scraped open across the frost beyond them… Astolfo couldn’t help but cheer upon seeing such a sight! Getting excited over big smashy things was just natural for a guy, right? "Wowowow, kaboom! I’ve never seen anything like that before! You’re the coolest Servant around, you know?!” cheered the little hero eagerly; bouncing on the spot a little on Paula’s shoulder like an excited puppy.
But, his cheer would be a bit short-lived as he turned his attention back to the original intention of his date’s carnage – that old service tunnel certainly wasn’t well-lit… it shouldn’t have been a surprise that it wouldn’t have any power anymore, but he hadn’t thought ahead quite that far. "Err… it shouldn’t be that far from here, but… should I ask to borrow a torch or something?” awkwardly remarked the Rider, giving Paula an awkward shrug – which felt all the more pathetic given her face’s comparative size beside him. "Or maybe just… r-really watch your step? Ooh, it could be chilly, too… do you wanna borrow my sweater?”
It took Astolfo a good few seconds of tugging off his top before he realised the situation again.
"Eheheh, well… hey, maybe you’ll get to break some more stuff further on! There’s definitely gonna be another set of doors to deal with once we get to the Triggy-whatsit room anyway, so look forward to it! I sure will be!” chirped Astolfo, in constant good spirits as always – well, this would be a good chance to chat with Paula for a little bit before the dinner, so… it’d be nice in-of itself, right?
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Post by Paula Bunyan on May 21, 2016 18:47:58 GMT
Still grinning over her heroic defeat of the insidious, villainous machinations of a nefarious door, Paula couldn't help but blush at Astolfo's sudden praise. "Aww, thanks Astolfo. That's really nice of you!" she replied with a 10,000 watt smile. Shrugging along with the pink paladin, Paula decided to press onward into the dark and chilly hallway with tentative steps. Busting open an old door with the permission of Chaldea's staff was one thing but the American folkhero had no desire to crush some poor piece of technology by accident while stumbling through the old pathway. As such, she extended her arms in front of her, feeling her way along the walls with creeping steps.
"I'll be ok. This suit is surprisingly warm. Besides, I think your sweater might be a liiiiittle small, whoops," the giantess said as her horns began to bump against the support beams running along the ceiling, forcing her to bend down a bit to avoid any further collisions. Acting instinctively, Paula's free hand shifted to just below her shoulder. All things considered, it was probably an unnecessary gesture considering Astolfo's balance and riding skill but years of catching clumsy lumberjacks tumbling off his her shoulders had left a habit that was quite hard to break.
"Hey Astolfo. Tell me a fun story. Maybe one that doesn't involve you bringing girls you like to dark halls with no one else around." Though she was unsure whether he would be able to see it due to the lighting and angle, Paula made no effort to hide the devilish, teasing grin covering her face. So far, Astolfo had been a nice enough gentleman but the chance to mess with him a bit was just far too tempting to pass up.
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Post by Astolfo on May 24, 2016 14:00:43 GMT
Unsurprisingly Astolfo was all too pleased to be met with such a bright smile – it was a bit bizarre to see it at quite such a proximity and size, but he did his best to give a sheepish grin in return for the appreciation. His good cheer was a little interrupted by the lady’s beginning her movement again, awkwardly stumbling on her shoulder for a moment before sitting down properly again; although as Paula steadied herself against the walls and grew more cautious he was given a bit more breathing room… perhaps a bit too much, as he relaxed almost comically with his arms behind his head and a familiar smirk on his face.
Paula’s teasing question, unfortunately, didn’t quite work as intended – sarcasm wasn’t quite Astolfo’s specialty, admittedly; despite his charisma. "Are you sure? I know a really good story about that!” chirped the paladin enthusiastically, clapping his hands and leaning forward in excitement – oh boy, stories were one thing he loved to talk about! This one was perfect, too. Maybe it was even kind of relevant, if Paula was just as tough!
"Okay, so once, while I was alive, I was with a girl in the catacombs – we were trying to sneak to her house without anyone knowing, and she was super keen on the tombs too – and so we were trekking through the underground, and it was really dark; and pretty cold too! And then we got really lost; ‘cause I was sort of clinging onto her and she had the map, but she didn’t mind; and we were trying to be all composed and cool about it, but I was young and Roland wasn’t about so I was super nervous! And then we came around a familiar corner but we were still lost and she admitted we were lost and then I started crying! But, then we finally found the right way out, but we tripped over something – and it was a whole human skeleton! I freaked and jumped into her arms, but she just smiled when she put the torch next to it and winked at me, and said, ‘Hey, we finally found my house! That’s my grandad!’! The look on my face was hysterical, apparently!”
Beaming with pride over his self-depreciating story, Astolfo looked expectantly at his date (though admittedly, it was kind of hard not to from this perspective)… perhaps a bit too expectantly, as he inevitably lost his footing. Squeaking with surprise, the boy awkwardly tumbled off her shoulder – and promptly slid into Paula’s hand; giving a gasp of relief upon reaching steady ground again. Or as well as one can give a gasp of relief while face-planted, anyway. "Hey, does this mean we’re holding hands already~? Geez~”
Thankfully for Paula, the tunnel was predominantly bare outside of a railing above that once supported whatever was shipped in, which she’d knocked her horn against – though the tunnel’s gradual curve certainly wasn’t helpful while it was so dark. Thankfully, some dim light began to grow from far ahead… Astolfo had at least been honest that it wasn’t too much of a walk; especially for Paula. Though, maybe he’d secretly been hoping for a date on his hippogriff along here?
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Post by Paula Bunyan on May 28, 2016 3:54:14 GMT
Still feeling her way through the nearly pitch black tunnel, Paula was more than a little relieved to not have any further collisions with overhead girders. Honestly, these damnable ceilings were the main reason she preferred the outdoors. Being unable to stand up straight and strut without fear of bumping into things, being unable to look up and see clouds rolling through the skies overhead. It was torture most of the time. Luckily, her new pink friend had managed to ensure a temporary reprieve from that unpleasantness through a combination of the sheer excitement of exploring a strange new place as well as his unfailingly amusing stories.
Removing her free hand from the wall, the giantess covered her mouth to try and muffle her chuckle in response to Astolfo's surprisingly humble story. In fact, it was due to that laughter that she very nearly missed the tiny paladin's sudden tumble from her shoulder. However, the pinkette's luck continued to hold out as he landed softly into Paula's waiting palm. "Heh, all hail the conquering hero. And now that you mention it, you have been riding me for a while now. I'd say we're a bit past holding hands," she responded with a wink before noticing the thin shafts of light up ahead. "Hold on tight. This might be fun!" the Heroic Spirit formerly known as Paul Bunyan said as she stepped up her pace into a rumbling charge. Still bent down a bit to avoid any overhead obstacles that might have remained hidden due to her relatively limited vision at the moment, the lumberjack would crash into the second set of doors up ahead shoulder first, intent on bursting through with as must thunder and flair as she'd used to gain entry into this hallway in the first place.
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Post by Astolfo on Jun 3, 2016 11:41:40 GMT
While briefly hesitating with his response to Paula’s joke out of initial confusion, Astolfo was quickly interrupted by the giantess’s next big hit – out now! Realising her intent as Paula built up speed, the boy began to panic… uh, that was the door he wasn’t supposed to get broken! Aw man, he was already breaking rules as it is… this could get messy. But unfortunately, there was no way the paladin was going to halt a charging bull; much less one ten times his size. The most he managed was a hurried yelp of shock before giving up a clinging on for dear life – well, as best as one could cling to someone’s hand, anyway.
With a second climatic crash, the doors rattled on their rails from the blow courtesy of Paula – only to be sent hurtling to the sides… leaving a very startled lab tech standing below in the Trismegistus chamber. "E-Er, the second ones were unlocked…” awkwardly remarked Astolfo, seeming more bashful than worried about the matter. And indeed, he was soon as chipper as ever; gently hopping off of Paula’s hand in order to sort of slide down her leg to the ground... well, his descent was less than graceful, but it didn’t seem to throw off the spring in his step all the same.
"Okay, Art! Everything’s good to go, right?” chirped the pink-haired boy excitedly, beaming at the baffled Chaldea employee whom was still staring at the giant whom had just appeared – he wasn’t paid enough to worry about this. Best to just play along with the cute girl instead and try and forget about this stuff. With a dismissive nod, the long-haired technician just hurried away; leaving the two walking disasters to their business. "Yahoo! Thank you, Arty! I’ll give Celenike your compliments tomorrow, okaaaay?”
Waving happily to the other young man, Astolfo then turned back to his date with smirk; giving her a little ‘okay’ gesture. "Now, check this out! I’m a technical wizard, you know! Just watch!” With a wave of his cape, the little hero was off again; rushing across the grandiose room to its similarly sizable control room – thankfully empty given the system’s disuse, but his man on the inside had set things up for him… hopefully! Now, err, what did he need to press, again…? Snatching a piece of paper from one of his stockings, the boy hesitantly began pressing buttons as per the scrawled instructions…
For a minute or so Paula was just left in the system’s inactivate platform – but then, in a buzz of electronics and an especially disorientating shift of reality; the giant found herself in a seemingly endless field of grass turf; with a cluster of sparse clouds overhead in a gradient blue sky… default wallpaper, how disgusting. "Haaaang on a bit, just need to find the right one… err, are you more of a fan of English or Japanese architecture, miss…?” mumbled the disembodied voice of Astolfo, clearly not having thought ahead quuuuite far enough… but, this alone was probably an impressive feat of forethought for the compulsive hero. Ah, but anything for a date, right?!
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