Golgotha
The one that reads too much
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Gee, if only they had already talked about how relatively easy and hard the respective mechs were to repair
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I read novels
I really do
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No fanfic can escape a PHO interlude
lost star
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I wanted to do a fan reaction but wasn't sure what. This was what came to mind. I wasn't that sure about it TBH.
lost star
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I probably won't do this style again. I dislike how it went.
Golgotha
The one that reads too much
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I think it just couldn't find what it was as an interlude?
Was it friends casually chatting? No, because they went to PM'S to get details before sharing.
Was it a professional message board? If so, kimi was very casual with how she spoke.
Was it then a presentation? It felt sort of like a transcript of a news interview. But, even though it said authorised people only, there were people chatting that were not verified.
It was also in real time as a reaction to the events.
It was named after Kimi, so is she a midtier celebrity talk person? It would explain it if she does a variety of topics, hence it being the expert cup thread - but then it being a message board is a strange medium.
Nothing about it was bad, I think it just struggled having a defined x-factor
Few other little things I think made it confusing, like mei mei gave a detailed professional analysis included appearance but then was shocked and surprised at the "flex" of the appearance with her tone changing once the match itself started.
Was it friends casually chatting? No, because they went to PM'S to get details before sharing.
Was it a professional message board? If so, kimi was very casual with how she spoke.
Was it then a presentation? It felt sort of like a transcript of a news interview. But, even though it said authorised people only, there were people chatting that were not verified.
It was also in real time as a reaction to the events.
It was named after Kimi, so is she a midtier celebrity talk person? It would explain it if she does a variety of topics, hence it being the expert cup thread - but then it being a message board is a strange medium.
Nothing about it was bad, I think it just struggled having a defined x-factor
Few other little things I think made it confusing, like mei mei gave a detailed professional analysis included appearance but then was shocked and surprised at the "flex" of the appearance with her tone changing once the match itself started.
Last edited:
lost star
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The MeiMei part was her going off the blueprint. The detailing was pretty extensive for a quick mech. When she saw the entire thing, including paint she realized he went all out there.
Rhis chapter isn't that strong or coherent in retrospect. It happens sometimes.
RandolphWill
Getting sticky.
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Honestly the mech designs are so cool but all mechs are cool.
Golgotha
The one that reads too much
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Oh absolutely. I hope my comments didn't come across as anything but hopefully constructive criticism. Your story is one of my favourites at the moment, I jump on the website each night specifically just to read it. Hell, it made me search out other similar fanfics.
eersc
Making the rounds.
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I liked the content but I feel like this could have been maybe a virtual simulated meeting room or something to show off the tech in this era, maybe its like a ARG where she has a conference sitting at a cafe where the other 2 are holo'd in for example. I'm assuming they're not on the same planet. But somehow making it a message board feels impersonal since it's a more inter group conversation.
M038
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lost star
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The first fight had given them momentum. Since Vermillion had not serious damage, they actually had enough time to make a surplus of added parts and ready themselves for the next round by waterproofing the mech. This also let Lilly approach the second fight without any damage, while her opponent had visible cuts and gashes in their armor.
It was still a painful fight admittedly. The enemy had been a brawler very ready to meet Vermillion on it's own terms. What was worse was that the conflict had happened in a swamp. The battle had resulted in frankly hellish damage to the arms, the shield had been completely trashed, and they'd had to hose down the mech with high powered water jets that made the entire place smell unpleasantly for hours afterwards even with ventilation. (They also had to replace the ponytail, which was trivial and barely worth mentioning since it was detachable and disposable.)
Once they'd assessed the damage, Bolt's first decision had been to just remove the arms and replace them. He'd done that work himself while the others had addressed the rest of the damage. Refueling and retightening everything had made time tight, but spare parts they'd stocked made the entire repair possible rather than a dream. Bolt had even done a new coat of paint, mostly because at this point he was committed to the bit.
The third fight would probably have been a loss had they fought that match first. According to Lilly, the rifleman was very good and his mech was likewise quite deadly. They had also fought in the desert with a few very obvious traps as the gimmick. Had the opponent been pristine they would have lost. No question about it. Instead the rifleman had had a few obvious wields and enough damage that the missiles were able to cook it enough to kill it's movement ability and let Lilly close in for the kill.
Vermillion had not looked pretty after that fight. The damage had been deceptive though. It was all armor damage. Lilly had been able to spread out the damage enough that nothing had touched the internal parts. Replacing that was just a matter of breaking the seals, dropping the plates and slapping new ones in place. The automated systems in the bay could handle most of that. With the parts prepared, it didn't even take that long. They'd ended up with enough time to replace their part supply, prepare for the next round, redo the paint, and sweep all the damned sand out of the blasted bay.
Round four showed that their approach was paying dividends. The enemy had actual obvious mechanical damage. Compared to Vermillion's pristine and painted appearance, the difference was very stark. Her opponent was still an expert candidate though, and they were a swordman to boot. The design was potent, the pilot was good, and the round gimmicks didn't matter because he got up close and personal and stayed there. The enemy managed to force Lilly to drop her sword, take out part of her leg, and then neatly disabled her missiles before she took off his head with her shield and then bashed him to death with her mech's bare hands in a brutal display of why every part of the mech was a weapon. Even in victory her opponent had the last laugh. Mechs were not designed to fight like that. She'd absolutely ruined her hands by using them like that.
Fortunately they had more time for the finals, and the damage was mostly just confined to the hands and the leg. Bolt had the foot replaced quickly and worked on the hands himself. The missile launchers were dead simple to fix and were done by the automation. Ando's attention to the armor had again paid dividends in that they could just pop off most of it and replace the plates with a minimum of work. Bolt did have to break out a few battlefield tricks to fix the hands in time, but that was mostly just slapping them onto a slab and physically splicing wires after hammering the skeleton into place. There were probably better ways to do it, but that was what he was most familiar with.
The designer had just enough time to give it another fresh coat of paint at the end of it too!
"Normally I would be against the unnecessary time expenditure, but I do like the statement it gives." Ando mused at the end of it.
"Statement?" Bolt asked with confusion. "I just think it's funny." He stared at Vermillion and the red and gold. "Well I suppose it does make a statement. We care about appearances?"
"More that we're so good we can make it look new." Dai said. "By which we, I mean you." He told Bolt.
"Hah! I could not have done it alone, and it's not completely fixed. We've just covered most of the damage with plating and paint." Bolt told everyone. "So, my internal schedule is rather messed up, but I believe we're done?"
"We can leave and ready ourselves for tomorrow." Ando confirmed and paused. "Do you ah, have formal wear?" He asked Bolt carefully.
"Formal wear?" The young designer repeated blankly.
"I'll send Lilly a few pictures." Wu called from the side. "She'll order what she thinks is best. Wear what she tells you, take a bath, shave, and get your hair trimmed."
That was how Bolt showed up the next day in a bright red suit, black tie, and feeling like he was being strangled. At least Lilly looked good. The girl had managed to get a slinky dress that both fit her and made her look fantastic. This was more impressive than it sounded, because her proportions were, well tiny.
Apparently, and it was something he'd completely missed, day two was the finals and the exhibition match only. These both took very little time, so the organizers had arranged an interview before that to pad out the schedule. It was more accurate to call it pre-fight banter though. Bolt and Lilly had been informed that it was almost customary to interact with the opposing team in some entertaining way. Both teams had been arranged in seats in the same room to facilitate this. Bolt and Lilly were in front on one side, and two people Bolt didn't recognize were opposite them. Their team had six people, Bolt observed.
It was a bit boring for the most part. Bolt knew the basic concept for interviews, but having one done was different. He mostly felt hot due to the lights and the damned suit. The questions were absolutely banal and he barely paid attention to most of them.
"Next question is for Lilly!" The reporter directing everything was a woman so artificially pretty it came across as disturbing in person. "Rumor has it you are engaged to your mech designer. Are you?"
"Yep!" Lilly replied with a nod and kicked her legs casually.
After a beat of silence the reporter gave a small laugh. "Could you elaborate on it? Why a designer? It's considered an unusual choice." She prodded.
"Why not?" The pilot asked back with a clueless, slightly vapid, and cutesy expression on her face. "There a rule against it? He's big and hunky."
It was always a bit disturbing to see the girl using that mask, Bolt mused. He didn't show it on his face as the reporter turned to him. "You are certainly entitled to that decision! Bolt, the next question is for you in light of that. Explain Dowry if you could?" A design appeared in a hologram in front of them and on a screen in the background.
"Dowry?" Bolt repeated as he stared at the design. "That's supposed to be a private gift for Lilly." He observed blankly.
"You put it up public by accident." Someone from behind him hissed in a low whisper.
Bolt winced and flushed. "Ah, I must have listed it for sale in the game accidentally. Lilly was gonna test it and I'd build it later. It's going to be a wedding present."
"Which I love very much!" Lilly chirped with a warm grin and a nod. "Not very good for the game, but in real life I'd say it's perfect! If someone else buys it and tries it, that's fine, but the real one's mine." The woman finished with a few cute nods.
"Analysis has been that it's far more suited for battlefield conditions." The reporter noted. "Opinions have certainly been mixed as to other things about it thought. The appearance for instance. I believe one of our other guests have some opinions on it?"
The lead designer there gave a nod. Bolt took a moment to actually observe him. Stiff, formal, and a recent college graduate. He was composed. He'd done interviews before.
"Dowery is an ugly, expensive, and utterly primitive mech using the ASMAS for a repair gimmick. You practically doubled the price for a marginal increase in operational time and the repair process is utterly repulsive." The man said definitively.
Bolt stared at his opposing designer. "All right?" Was he supposed to be mad about that? He didn't get it. That sounded like actually legitimate criticism. "It fits what I wanted for her. I do agree 'bout the cost. Nanomachines are expensive, and it is kinda gross how she heals, but it works."
His words seemed to make the designer angry. "Is this another form of mockery?!" He shot back with heat.
Now Bolt was very confused. "If I wanted ta mock you I'd be more blunt about it." He told the designer and turned to the reporter. "I'm sorry, am I missin something?"
"There's been some comments about your design style and decisions in this tournament." The reporter chirped as she brought up the pictures of Vermillion. "It could be considered a taunt."
"Ahhh. That was mostly because we had a bit o' time at the end, and it was entertaining. Ain't trying to be offensive." Bolt said with a small smile at his design that turned into a frown. "Actually, could you bring back Ghoul, or excuse me Dowery?" He winced a bit at the name.
"Of course!" The woman immediately did with a look of anticipation.
"So, expensive is probably tha biggest problem here and that can be explained." Bolt explained and gestured to the mech's midsection. "This was exclusively for Lilly. Sorta a pre-expert mech. Those are usually pretty expensive to my understanding. Am I wrong?"
"Not completely." The other designer said slowly and like the admission was painful.
"It's dependent. Usually they're in a top of the line mech for the organization they're in, with customization after." The opposing pilot gave his experienced input with a calm and bemused expression on his face.
Bolt grinned. "Ok, so the cost isn't the problem then! If I were to make it for mass output I'd have ta get some more specialized nanomachines really. Ta be honest the ones in Dowery are more generalist type and are probably a bit too expensive for what we used it for." He explained. "Now the claws and teeth are just for style."
"You think that lack of range and savage behavior is appropriate for an expert mech?" The other designer pounced on the statement.
"Not like the more common skirmisher knives are that much better for reach." Bolt spread his hands out and wiggled the fingers for emphasis. "We optimized Ghoul for ripping off armor with these. Her hands are really optimized fer that. A lot of her design is because she actually started very primitively. Ghoul was the first mech I built and I had ta cut so many corners because I was working off scrap."
Lilly leaned against him. "I still loved her. Was the first real mech I piloted!" She said with a very genuine warmth. "It was like he gave me wings and let me fly for the first time in my life."
"Ohhh. So star crossed lovers then bound together by a mech built in desperate times. Dowery is you revising it for love! That has to have a story about it." The reporter chimed in with a very eager look on her face that turned speculative as she leaned forward and continued. "But that begs the question. What will you do when she becomes an expert?"
The opposing designer grimaced at that statement and seemed actually reluctant to bring the next point up. "Neither of us have the skills to make an expert mech, and won't have them for several decades at best. At best you'll be able to do the base design. You'll need assistance." He explained for them and the audience. "That would mean a senior or master, and they have very limited time."
Bolt closed his eyes and nodded. "Yes, I did look into that. I do have a new design that would fit her better too, but well... I will need ta find someone to help when she becomes one. That'll be hard." That was actually a bit painful to admit but he did.
"I'm certain that you could find someone from our lovely nation if you wanted." The reporter said.
To her side the designer already sour expression went worse. "I can say for certain that my master would be willing to help."
"Something to consider." Bolt responded to the obviously political invitation as neutrally as he could.
"Do try!" The reporter said brightly before continuing. "Now, as much as I'd like to continue our conversation, we will need to get prepared for the actual match! Pilots, to the changing booths! Lilly, you did bring other shoes right? Those heels are gorgeous but I don't think they'll work in the cockpit."
That got a small startled laugh from the girl.
It was still a painful fight admittedly. The enemy had been a brawler very ready to meet Vermillion on it's own terms. What was worse was that the conflict had happened in a swamp. The battle had resulted in frankly hellish damage to the arms, the shield had been completely trashed, and they'd had to hose down the mech with high powered water jets that made the entire place smell unpleasantly for hours afterwards even with ventilation. (They also had to replace the ponytail, which was trivial and barely worth mentioning since it was detachable and disposable.)
Once they'd assessed the damage, Bolt's first decision had been to just remove the arms and replace them. He'd done that work himself while the others had addressed the rest of the damage. Refueling and retightening everything had made time tight, but spare parts they'd stocked made the entire repair possible rather than a dream. Bolt had even done a new coat of paint, mostly because at this point he was committed to the bit.
The third fight would probably have been a loss had they fought that match first. According to Lilly, the rifleman was very good and his mech was likewise quite deadly. They had also fought in the desert with a few very obvious traps as the gimmick. Had the opponent been pristine they would have lost. No question about it. Instead the rifleman had had a few obvious wields and enough damage that the missiles were able to cook it enough to kill it's movement ability and let Lilly close in for the kill.
Vermillion had not looked pretty after that fight. The damage had been deceptive though. It was all armor damage. Lilly had been able to spread out the damage enough that nothing had touched the internal parts. Replacing that was just a matter of breaking the seals, dropping the plates and slapping new ones in place. The automated systems in the bay could handle most of that. With the parts prepared, it didn't even take that long. They'd ended up with enough time to replace their part supply, prepare for the next round, redo the paint, and sweep all the damned sand out of the blasted bay.
Round four showed that their approach was paying dividends. The enemy had actual obvious mechanical damage. Compared to Vermillion's pristine and painted appearance, the difference was very stark. Her opponent was still an expert candidate though, and they were a swordman to boot. The design was potent, the pilot was good, and the round gimmicks didn't matter because he got up close and personal and stayed there. The enemy managed to force Lilly to drop her sword, take out part of her leg, and then neatly disabled her missiles before she took off his head with her shield and then bashed him to death with her mech's bare hands in a brutal display of why every part of the mech was a weapon. Even in victory her opponent had the last laugh. Mechs were not designed to fight like that. She'd absolutely ruined her hands by using them like that.
Fortunately they had more time for the finals, and the damage was mostly just confined to the hands and the leg. Bolt had the foot replaced quickly and worked on the hands himself. The missile launchers were dead simple to fix and were done by the automation. Ando's attention to the armor had again paid dividends in that they could just pop off most of it and replace the plates with a minimum of work. Bolt did have to break out a few battlefield tricks to fix the hands in time, but that was mostly just slapping them onto a slab and physically splicing wires after hammering the skeleton into place. There were probably better ways to do it, but that was what he was most familiar with.
The designer had just enough time to give it another fresh coat of paint at the end of it too!
"Normally I would be against the unnecessary time expenditure, but I do like the statement it gives." Ando mused at the end of it.
"Statement?" Bolt asked with confusion. "I just think it's funny." He stared at Vermillion and the red and gold. "Well I suppose it does make a statement. We care about appearances?"
"More that we're so good we can make it look new." Dai said. "By which we, I mean you." He told Bolt.
"Hah! I could not have done it alone, and it's not completely fixed. We've just covered most of the damage with plating and paint." Bolt told everyone. "So, my internal schedule is rather messed up, but I believe we're done?"
"We can leave and ready ourselves for tomorrow." Ando confirmed and paused. "Do you ah, have formal wear?" He asked Bolt carefully.
"Formal wear?" The young designer repeated blankly.
"I'll send Lilly a few pictures." Wu called from the side. "She'll order what she thinks is best. Wear what she tells you, take a bath, shave, and get your hair trimmed."
That was how Bolt showed up the next day in a bright red suit, black tie, and feeling like he was being strangled. At least Lilly looked good. The girl had managed to get a slinky dress that both fit her and made her look fantastic. This was more impressive than it sounded, because her proportions were, well tiny.
Apparently, and it was something he'd completely missed, day two was the finals and the exhibition match only. These both took very little time, so the organizers had arranged an interview before that to pad out the schedule. It was more accurate to call it pre-fight banter though. Bolt and Lilly had been informed that it was almost customary to interact with the opposing team in some entertaining way. Both teams had been arranged in seats in the same room to facilitate this. Bolt and Lilly were in front on one side, and two people Bolt didn't recognize were opposite them. Their team had six people, Bolt observed.
It was a bit boring for the most part. Bolt knew the basic concept for interviews, but having one done was different. He mostly felt hot due to the lights and the damned suit. The questions were absolutely banal and he barely paid attention to most of them.
"Next question is for Lilly!" The reporter directing everything was a woman so artificially pretty it came across as disturbing in person. "Rumor has it you are engaged to your mech designer. Are you?"
"Yep!" Lilly replied with a nod and kicked her legs casually.
After a beat of silence the reporter gave a small laugh. "Could you elaborate on it? Why a designer? It's considered an unusual choice." She prodded.
"Why not?" The pilot asked back with a clueless, slightly vapid, and cutesy expression on her face. "There a rule against it? He's big and hunky."
It was always a bit disturbing to see the girl using that mask, Bolt mused. He didn't show it on his face as the reporter turned to him. "You are certainly entitled to that decision! Bolt, the next question is for you in light of that. Explain Dowry if you could?" A design appeared in a hologram in front of them and on a screen in the background.
"Dowry?" Bolt repeated as he stared at the design. "That's supposed to be a private gift for Lilly." He observed blankly.
"You put it up public by accident." Someone from behind him hissed in a low whisper.
Bolt winced and flushed. "Ah, I must have listed it for sale in the game accidentally. Lilly was gonna test it and I'd build it later. It's going to be a wedding present."
"Which I love very much!" Lilly chirped with a warm grin and a nod. "Not very good for the game, but in real life I'd say it's perfect! If someone else buys it and tries it, that's fine, but the real one's mine." The woman finished with a few cute nods.
"Analysis has been that it's far more suited for battlefield conditions." The reporter noted. "Opinions have certainly been mixed as to other things about it thought. The appearance for instance. I believe one of our other guests have some opinions on it?"
The lead designer there gave a nod. Bolt took a moment to actually observe him. Stiff, formal, and a recent college graduate. He was composed. He'd done interviews before.
"Dowery is an ugly, expensive, and utterly primitive mech using the ASMAS for a repair gimmick. You practically doubled the price for a marginal increase in operational time and the repair process is utterly repulsive." The man said definitively.
Bolt stared at his opposing designer. "All right?" Was he supposed to be mad about that? He didn't get it. That sounded like actually legitimate criticism. "It fits what I wanted for her. I do agree 'bout the cost. Nanomachines are expensive, and it is kinda gross how she heals, but it works."
His words seemed to make the designer angry. "Is this another form of mockery?!" He shot back with heat.
Now Bolt was very confused. "If I wanted ta mock you I'd be more blunt about it." He told the designer and turned to the reporter. "I'm sorry, am I missin something?"
"There's been some comments about your design style and decisions in this tournament." The reporter chirped as she brought up the pictures of Vermillion. "It could be considered a taunt."
"Ahhh. That was mostly because we had a bit o' time at the end, and it was entertaining. Ain't trying to be offensive." Bolt said with a small smile at his design that turned into a frown. "Actually, could you bring back Ghoul, or excuse me Dowery?" He winced a bit at the name.
"Of course!" The woman immediately did with a look of anticipation.
"So, expensive is probably tha biggest problem here and that can be explained." Bolt explained and gestured to the mech's midsection. "This was exclusively for Lilly. Sorta a pre-expert mech. Those are usually pretty expensive to my understanding. Am I wrong?"
"Not completely." The other designer said slowly and like the admission was painful.
"It's dependent. Usually they're in a top of the line mech for the organization they're in, with customization after." The opposing pilot gave his experienced input with a calm and bemused expression on his face.
Bolt grinned. "Ok, so the cost isn't the problem then! If I were to make it for mass output I'd have ta get some more specialized nanomachines really. Ta be honest the ones in Dowery are more generalist type and are probably a bit too expensive for what we used it for." He explained. "Now the claws and teeth are just for style."
"You think that lack of range and savage behavior is appropriate for an expert mech?" The other designer pounced on the statement.
"Not like the more common skirmisher knives are that much better for reach." Bolt spread his hands out and wiggled the fingers for emphasis. "We optimized Ghoul for ripping off armor with these. Her hands are really optimized fer that. A lot of her design is because she actually started very primitively. Ghoul was the first mech I built and I had ta cut so many corners because I was working off scrap."
Lilly leaned against him. "I still loved her. Was the first real mech I piloted!" She said with a very genuine warmth. "It was like he gave me wings and let me fly for the first time in my life."
"Ohhh. So star crossed lovers then bound together by a mech built in desperate times. Dowery is you revising it for love! That has to have a story about it." The reporter chimed in with a very eager look on her face that turned speculative as she leaned forward and continued. "But that begs the question. What will you do when she becomes an expert?"
The opposing designer grimaced at that statement and seemed actually reluctant to bring the next point up. "Neither of us have the skills to make an expert mech, and won't have them for several decades at best. At best you'll be able to do the base design. You'll need assistance." He explained for them and the audience. "That would mean a senior or master, and they have very limited time."
Bolt closed his eyes and nodded. "Yes, I did look into that. I do have a new design that would fit her better too, but well... I will need ta find someone to help when she becomes one. That'll be hard." That was actually a bit painful to admit but he did.
"I'm certain that you could find someone from our lovely nation if you wanted." The reporter said.
To her side the designer already sour expression went worse. "I can say for certain that my master would be willing to help."
"Something to consider." Bolt responded to the obviously political invitation as neutrally as he could.
"Do try!" The reporter said brightly before continuing. "Now, as much as I'd like to continue our conversation, we will need to get prepared for the actual match! Pilots, to the changing booths! Lilly, you did bring other shoes right? Those heels are gorgeous but I don't think they'll work in the cockpit."
That got a small startled laugh from the girl.
Pyro Hawk
Unsure if Phoenix or Kitsune
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In the moment, probably salt yeah. But after inspecting the (public) blueprints for the mech? I think it's going to flip (for the sensible ones at least) over to merely being grumpy and respect to Bolt's team. Because they'll probably be able to spot some of the 'hidden flaws' that a First Draft mech design is mentioned as having and also see the compromises that were made to allow the feats that let them win.
Which basically means that the first battle with the Lancer is going to be put on Bolt creating a mech that fits Lilly very well and then Lilly carrying that battle. But the battles after that are put on Bolt and his team making the gamble that they wouldn't face anyone in the first Battle that was outright superior or advantaged against their design in a way Lilly couldn't counter, and then gaining advantages from the carefully chosen design compromises now kicking into their favour. Something that would cause them to basically go 'okay, I need to put some more effort into learning how to either make more durable versions of the critical components in a way that minimises the lost performance, work out a way to easily repair them or pick up a few tricks about how to get damaged components functional quickly'.
It's... Dealing with Bolt's designs is very much a learning experience. You are going to be able to see flaws and compromises made that you wouldn't made, but also see what the advantages those allowed and it's going to be different from what you've had to deal with before. So take on board the different perspective he offers and use what it shows to either improve or find a new trick that isn't one of the typical ones for your 'methodology lineage'.
lurkingkraken
Versed in the lewd.
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I love how his team have learned to just lean in the rules for dealing with oblivious masters in order to better manage him. I hope that we don't leave them completely behind when the 6 months are up.
Is swapping between the spellings deliberate to show accents or?
Last edited:
lost star
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I keep accidentally adding the e to it. Getting mildly annoying when I see it happen.
Also, you don't need to worry about the guys reappearing. They will, though it might be a bit. They aren't going to just flat up disappear.
M039
New
lost star
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Lilly was mildly annoyed as she got into Vermillion. Mildly only. They'd sat there and dissected her baby on public TV! Ghoul was very far from perfect, but it was the very first mech Bolt had made for her. It had a special place in her heart! The only reason she wasn't actually mad was because her fiancé had been more confused than irritated. That wasn't surprising. Rats did have pride, but it was in very specific things. Bolt's family prized their freedom above all. They could have had a good life slaving away in some corporate indentured servitude if they had wanted. Instead they'd strived to build something. Some part of her honey probably still considered his mechs complete trash. He had no pride to assault in that regard.
That didn't mean she was going to let this go. She was going to make a point now. "Apologies in advance. Yer designer got me all fired up, so I'm going to be mean here." Lilly said over the open line.
Her opponent, Liu didn't say a word in response. He simply hefted his staff into the air in a small salute. It was practically an invitation.
They were in an arena this time. The added effect was rather simple. There were very large metal blocks that provided cover. That was it. It was both good and bad for Vermillion. His missiles were less useful with nothing to ignite, but the cover made staff strikes a bit restricted. They tended to need wide swings.
Tended to. Lilly absentmindedly dodged the initial staff thrust with a boost and a shift of her mech's hips as she decided how to handle this. This was going to be a very technical battle she could already tell. That initial strike had covered the space between them in instant. A staff was just a spear without a pointy end after all. It could still do everything a spear could do, especially at the weights mechs worked in. Getting stabbed with it would still pierce and kill. That her opponent was already focusing on that rather than the swings indicated that he'd made his decision on how to handle the terrain right away.
He also didn't seem to have any visible damage. There was no hitch in his stride, no stutter in his movements. It was almost like he'd taken no damage in each fight, but that was literally impossible. Far more likely was that most of it was concealed under the armor.
Lilly had frequently said she could pilot everything. As such, she had multiple general attitudes she categorized her styles into. Sometimes it was frantic aggression. Sometimes it was careful defense, like she was currently doing. In contests she'd typically focused on having fun though. Even the previous matches had been her trying to be a good sport and showy. That was why she did acrobatics when she could. There was nothing better than pushing your mech to the absolute limits. She was fully capable of more technical and careful behaviors. Vermillion actually excelled at it.
On the next thrust dodged her sword followed the line of the staff down to the hands. The tip kissed the hand briefly. The damage was tiny. Just a finger before her opponent pulled back. It was damage though, and made his staff work just a bit less precise.
Personally Lilly considered this particular style the cat toying with it's prey. Deliberately crippling parts in a slow and method fashion. As far as styles went it was cruel and long. It was also frustrating to the opponent, forcing them into a worse and worse state. It was a dueling style for when you needed to take as little damage as possible while also conserving your own resources.
From the outside it looked very much like she was just trying to counter his attacks. She avoided the staff and slipped out with her sword. Light, almost teasing touches here and there. Little nicks that slowly built up. Were they not piloting mechs it would be bleeding him to death. Instead she was stripping his armor and cutting off the little parts that made the mech durable. It wasn't perfect, he was too good for that. She was taking hits, but she was also slowly stripping the protective layer that was his armor. Damage like that frequently didn't register to pilots.
Frequently didn't mean they never did. Her opponent caught onto the tactic and assessed the damage faster than anyone else she'd used this on. He changed tactics immediately and almost flawlessly. Moving from staff work as the primary offense to guarding and using his auxiliary weapons. Guns slats in his shoulders opened up to reveal a series of barrels and he sprayed her with bullets while switching to a defensive stance. The damage was low, but it was notable. Which was something she'd planned for. She launched a missile in reply.
Vermillion had many good things about him. The style choice on where the missile was wasn't exactly one of them. Back mounted missiles fired into the sky. They arched in a rather obvious pattern. It was useful in some ways, but it made them very easy to react to because that sort of thing took time.
You just had to react correctly to them. Her opponent was at a poor angle to attempt to shoot it out of the sky. He instead moved forward, choking up on his staff and riddling her with bullets at the same time. She moved to meet him, and the missile's payload dropped down to hit exactly where she wanted, right next to her.
Superheated air hit them both and began cooking their mechs alive. Lilly's vehicle screamed as every temperature alert roared at once. She ignored them. This was a calculated risk. Experience from when she'd used this weapon told her that one missile was not nearly enough to kill or even critically damage a mech. It took at least two, assuming no other damage.
Understandably her opponent didn't know this. He didn't panic, but he did prioritize getting out of the effect despite the fact that she was right next to him. It gave her several free hits. Her shield lashed out and part of his chest armor was completely shorn off. His kneecap's armor was also removed by her sword before the effect ended. Now she could identify the battle damage. The fire had highlighted the welds and faults.
Cool air wafted in and the alerts went down as Lilly capitalized on her opponent's unbalanced stance. She was damaged now most certainly. The hits from the bullets and her own weapon had the upper half of her mech in yellow. Her opponent had far too many exposed parts to be casual about her in close range now though. He was one hit away from losing something more important than armor. He backpedaled frantically as she advanced and even hit the boosters to gain range that she wasn't going to give him easily. Another missile went up in the air as he moved. She didn't bother to conceal where it was going.
Liu was pinned in that second. With his armor cut in far too many places the missile's heat would penetrate everything. Her previous choices had indicated that she had no problems trading damage and her armor was dented, not cut open and failing like his. She was certain Vermillion could take another blast. He could not, so he angled his torso up and shot the missile out of the air mid flight. (This was more impressive than it sounded. The missile took a half second to arm itself. He'd made the decision, angled his mech, and shot a rather small target out of the air with a weapon designed for volume over accuracy.)
It was the best decision he could have made. Lilly had to acknowledge that. Unfortunately for him, it was also a decision that let her re-close the distance and stab into his exposed knee. It crippled the movement on that limb, and her shield bash into his blocking staff forced him to stagger backwards to keep from dropping while also preventing him from retaliating. She took two steps back and launched her remaining missiles, targeting the areas around them.
With that action she had backed him into a corner. He knew it, and she knew it. He either approached her now or he died. On a bad knee that was not going to be an easy or free approach. It was the only decision he could make. He shifted his grip into another long spear thrust and she tilted her mech so that shield was presenting. A brief moment passed as they acknowledged what would happen next. Then he stabbed forward and advanced in the same motion. The missiles released their payload. Everything around them started to burn as she slammed her shield into the oncoming weapon. Her arm screamed, half of it was shredded from the titanic forces involved, but the weapon went off course and her opponent was fatally committed.
There was one very simple and almost deceptive fact that Lilly had been taught about weapons. One handed weapons had far more reach than almost any other melee weapon. If you moved your body just right, then aligned your weapon with your shoulders, you could thrust and put your entire mass into a single lethal point at a range that most other pilots could not react to. Vermillion, by accident, had the perfect configuration for something like that. The thrusters combined with the one handed stance let her twist her entire body into a textbook perfect stab. Between blinks her mech had traveled the entire space between them and pierced her opponent clean through.
As sword went through the chest and out the back. Lilly winced just a bit as she realized where she'd hit. In retrospect that strike had been a bit too close to the cockpit. That likely wouldn't have gotten through the reinforced armor there, but that was riskier than she liked. She wanted to win, not kill her opponent, and that sort of thrust could have potentially gotten through the safeguards. Poor form in the end.
It did immediately end the match in her favor.
That didn't mean she was going to let this go. She was going to make a point now. "Apologies in advance. Yer designer got me all fired up, so I'm going to be mean here." Lilly said over the open line.
Her opponent, Liu didn't say a word in response. He simply hefted his staff into the air in a small salute. It was practically an invitation.
They were in an arena this time. The added effect was rather simple. There were very large metal blocks that provided cover. That was it. It was both good and bad for Vermillion. His missiles were less useful with nothing to ignite, but the cover made staff strikes a bit restricted. They tended to need wide swings.
Tended to. Lilly absentmindedly dodged the initial staff thrust with a boost and a shift of her mech's hips as she decided how to handle this. This was going to be a very technical battle she could already tell. That initial strike had covered the space between them in instant. A staff was just a spear without a pointy end after all. It could still do everything a spear could do, especially at the weights mechs worked in. Getting stabbed with it would still pierce and kill. That her opponent was already focusing on that rather than the swings indicated that he'd made his decision on how to handle the terrain right away.
He also didn't seem to have any visible damage. There was no hitch in his stride, no stutter in his movements. It was almost like he'd taken no damage in each fight, but that was literally impossible. Far more likely was that most of it was concealed under the armor.
Lilly had frequently said she could pilot everything. As such, she had multiple general attitudes she categorized her styles into. Sometimes it was frantic aggression. Sometimes it was careful defense, like she was currently doing. In contests she'd typically focused on having fun though. Even the previous matches had been her trying to be a good sport and showy. That was why she did acrobatics when she could. There was nothing better than pushing your mech to the absolute limits. She was fully capable of more technical and careful behaviors. Vermillion actually excelled at it.
On the next thrust dodged her sword followed the line of the staff down to the hands. The tip kissed the hand briefly. The damage was tiny. Just a finger before her opponent pulled back. It was damage though, and made his staff work just a bit less precise.
Personally Lilly considered this particular style the cat toying with it's prey. Deliberately crippling parts in a slow and method fashion. As far as styles went it was cruel and long. It was also frustrating to the opponent, forcing them into a worse and worse state. It was a dueling style for when you needed to take as little damage as possible while also conserving your own resources.
From the outside it looked very much like she was just trying to counter his attacks. She avoided the staff and slipped out with her sword. Light, almost teasing touches here and there. Little nicks that slowly built up. Were they not piloting mechs it would be bleeding him to death. Instead she was stripping his armor and cutting off the little parts that made the mech durable. It wasn't perfect, he was too good for that. She was taking hits, but she was also slowly stripping the protective layer that was his armor. Damage like that frequently didn't register to pilots.
Frequently didn't mean they never did. Her opponent caught onto the tactic and assessed the damage faster than anyone else she'd used this on. He changed tactics immediately and almost flawlessly. Moving from staff work as the primary offense to guarding and using his auxiliary weapons. Guns slats in his shoulders opened up to reveal a series of barrels and he sprayed her with bullets while switching to a defensive stance. The damage was low, but it was notable. Which was something she'd planned for. She launched a missile in reply.
Vermillion had many good things about him. The style choice on where the missile was wasn't exactly one of them. Back mounted missiles fired into the sky. They arched in a rather obvious pattern. It was useful in some ways, but it made them very easy to react to because that sort of thing took time.
You just had to react correctly to them. Her opponent was at a poor angle to attempt to shoot it out of the sky. He instead moved forward, choking up on his staff and riddling her with bullets at the same time. She moved to meet him, and the missile's payload dropped down to hit exactly where she wanted, right next to her.
Superheated air hit them both and began cooking their mechs alive. Lilly's vehicle screamed as every temperature alert roared at once. She ignored them. This was a calculated risk. Experience from when she'd used this weapon told her that one missile was not nearly enough to kill or even critically damage a mech. It took at least two, assuming no other damage.
Understandably her opponent didn't know this. He didn't panic, but he did prioritize getting out of the effect despite the fact that she was right next to him. It gave her several free hits. Her shield lashed out and part of his chest armor was completely shorn off. His kneecap's armor was also removed by her sword before the effect ended. Now she could identify the battle damage. The fire had highlighted the welds and faults.
Cool air wafted in and the alerts went down as Lilly capitalized on her opponent's unbalanced stance. She was damaged now most certainly. The hits from the bullets and her own weapon had the upper half of her mech in yellow. Her opponent had far too many exposed parts to be casual about her in close range now though. He was one hit away from losing something more important than armor. He backpedaled frantically as she advanced and even hit the boosters to gain range that she wasn't going to give him easily. Another missile went up in the air as he moved. She didn't bother to conceal where it was going.
Liu was pinned in that second. With his armor cut in far too many places the missile's heat would penetrate everything. Her previous choices had indicated that she had no problems trading damage and her armor was dented, not cut open and failing like his. She was certain Vermillion could take another blast. He could not, so he angled his torso up and shot the missile out of the air mid flight. (This was more impressive than it sounded. The missile took a half second to arm itself. He'd made the decision, angled his mech, and shot a rather small target out of the air with a weapon designed for volume over accuracy.)
It was the best decision he could have made. Lilly had to acknowledge that. Unfortunately for him, it was also a decision that let her re-close the distance and stab into his exposed knee. It crippled the movement on that limb, and her shield bash into his blocking staff forced him to stagger backwards to keep from dropping while also preventing him from retaliating. She took two steps back and launched her remaining missiles, targeting the areas around them.
With that action she had backed him into a corner. He knew it, and she knew it. He either approached her now or he died. On a bad knee that was not going to be an easy or free approach. It was the only decision he could make. He shifted his grip into another long spear thrust and she tilted her mech so that shield was presenting. A brief moment passed as they acknowledged what would happen next. Then he stabbed forward and advanced in the same motion. The missiles released their payload. Everything around them started to burn as she slammed her shield into the oncoming weapon. Her arm screamed, half of it was shredded from the titanic forces involved, but the weapon went off course and her opponent was fatally committed.
There was one very simple and almost deceptive fact that Lilly had been taught about weapons. One handed weapons had far more reach than almost any other melee weapon. If you moved your body just right, then aligned your weapon with your shoulders, you could thrust and put your entire mass into a single lethal point at a range that most other pilots could not react to. Vermillion, by accident, had the perfect configuration for something like that. The thrusters combined with the one handed stance let her twist her entire body into a textbook perfect stab. Between blinks her mech had traveled the entire space between them and pierced her opponent clean through.
As sword went through the chest and out the back. Lilly winced just a bit as she realized where she'd hit. In retrospect that strike had been a bit too close to the cockpit. That likely wouldn't have gotten through the reinforced armor there, but that was riskier than she liked. She wanted to win, not kill her opponent, and that sort of thrust could have potentially gotten through the safeguards. Poor form in the end.
It did immediately end the match in her favor.
I read novels
I really do
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Nice duel
Evaunit02mark1
Here for the finer things in life
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To be fair you did say you were pissed dear girl.
Rustic
Not too sore, are you?
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M39 that was really well done chapter.
Not sure how far ahead you have written. I have a few questions about the MC family the builder rats family. What are they doing currently? Did they gain access to communication technology so they can see the current mechs the mc is building? What is the political climate around the planet? Those planets that sent expedition to play or or test there young men and women in warfare. Have they already set up?
Not sure how far ahead you have written. I have a few questions about the MC family the builder rats family. What are they doing currently? Did they gain access to communication technology so they can see the current mechs the mc is building? What is the political climate around the planet? Those planets that sent expedition to play or or test there young men and women in warfare. Have they already set up?
lost star
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A lot of that will be answered in the next arc.
M040
New
lost star
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As the victor, Lilly got to do an exhibition match with an expert. It was supposedly a very large honor. By this point the girl was tired physically and emotionally and not particularly enthusiastic about it. She'd still put up a good fight, but she knew for a fact she wasn't going to win. In fact she expected that she wouldn't even be able to touch him unless he let her. Even in training mechs! The gap between expert and normal pilot was that much. Lilly was good, not stupid.
"Hahah!" The expert led as she stepped into the arena. "I have been doing this many years. It is the first time I have seen a pilot be tired upon entry! Do you require a nap? I could graciously provide a lap or two!"
Lilly stared at the opposing training mech with dead eyes. She was tired, this mech felt scratchy, and she was using a damned staff. She was practically done with this. She wouldn't say that. "No laps. I'm quite happy with my hubby!" She said instead with a bright and chipper tone. "Ready to go when you are!"
"Lying doesn't suit you little bird." Goku said back and laughed again. "Though I am not one to judge! Ohaha! First, let us dispense with these. While I prefer the staff, it wouldn't do to have it done here!" The mech threw away the staff and picked up a one handed training sword that had been placed around the arena. "Come, this is what you used this tournament! Quite the show as well birdy."
"What's with the bird statements?" Lilly asked with a slight grumble as she picked up a sword.
Training mechs were not bottom of the barrel mechs. They did however frequently handle like them. They were designed for ease of piloting and modularity typically. This meant they didn't do much and didn't do it well. Goku was actually likely suffering more than she was here though. An expert had a specifically tailored mech for them. She knew for a fact that they had specific tweaks that made them actually dangerous for normal users. Using what he was using was likely like trying to pilot with both hands behind his back and legs tied together. She had a bit of respect for him for that at least. There wasn't a hint of discomfort in his voice or in the mech's movement.
"Oh, didn't you know? Your mech was a clear reference to our history! Hah!" The opposing mech moved forward and stabbed.
Lilly deflected it slowly and immediately recognized what was going on. Since they couldn't do it fast, they were doing it slow. Which was a very deceptively difficult training technique. Playing slowly meant you had to think about each move very deliberately. Speeding up meant you 'lost.' It was meant to make you think about footwork and positioning. A master could beat you three movements before you actually lost.
"Here I thought it was just because Bolt wanted a bird form." Lilly muttered back.
"Perhaps, his companions certainly did reference it. It goes Vermillion Bird, Azure Dragon, White Tiger, and Black Tortoise! Tis an old Earth tale! Your fiancé loves his references from what I have seen in his work. I do approve by the way. We do not need to cling to history, but the tales? Oh they still hold truths even today!" Goku tapped her visor as he finished the first bout. "Point to me. You are terrifyingly good, but you do love to leap before you look."
"Making me feel like my first lessons again." The girl shot back as they reset their stances.
"I recognize a style in that movement and can guess who you learned it from. I might have even fought with him at my side. He was left for good reasons. It pleases me to see that his legacy is more than ruin." Goku paused and gestured to the arena they were in. "Another weapon? You are one that refuses limits I see, so let us not be limited to just one!"
Rolling her eyes, Lilly grabbed at the rifle. It didn't even shoot. It would just register hits. Even in that he beat her handily. It wasn't even that he was a better shot. That was a given. His positioning and timing was absolutely uncanny.
"How many times has it been?" Goku mused as they switched again. "It does not matter. All candidates have something core to them. You have already found it I think. You should have cut away the dross and stepped forward, but you have not. Strange, yet we are all strange haha!" This time they had a pair of knives.
"You more than most." The candidate said before she could sensor herself.
"Oh yes, I am one of a kind." The expert said without shame. "But I am not the one being taught, so you must deal with my eccentricities rather than the other way around!" He followed this up by getting both knives through her guard and tapping them on her arms. "You are more suited to movement I see."
"Easiest to do in this one. I can do stillness too." Lilly volunteered.
"Oh? Then pick up a shield. I will use the staff, but restrain myself." Goku ordered and the other pilot complied.
She didn't do better. The skill disparity was large enough that she frankly couldn't win no matter what. It was amusing at least. She didn't get to practice pure shield work that often anymore.
"You chose what you chose." Venerable Goku mused out loud. "Dangerous to you and more I believe, but I won't judge! Let us talk of history instead. First, reset your stance. Move the off hand exactly when you would retaliate and no other time."
Lilly did as instructed while her opponent spoke.
"Long ago, in the diaspora, there were three friends who gathered people together, searching for another life! Hah! It wasn't that simple, but that is how the story goes. One brough rations, because he was ever looking towards the future. One brought a stone in an ugly shape, because he always held the truths of the past. One brought a book of paper, that he could write the present."
In her cockpit Lilly made sure to grumble with the radio mic off. Why would he want history?! Also damnit this was worse than when she was young!
"While they traveled they had an argument about the path forward once they reached a barren system with a single planet. The one who saw the future said that this plant would found their nation. The others said that paradise would be found elsewhere. So they split into one and two. The one stayed and ate and had his followers thrive as much as they could around that plant and it's children. The two traveled more to other systems, eager to find a paradise for themselves. After years the rock grew too heavy for the second. He found himself weary and unwilling to continue. So out of pride and a desire to salve his mistake he found a mountain and placed the rock atop it. He called them both holy!"
Goku gestured into the distance emphatically and Lilly almost managed to get him with her shield.
"It's still there by the way. An ugly rock on an ugly mountain. It's the founding mountain Shangri-la. I swear I've seen prettier rocks in my back yard." The expert paused. "The third traveled the most, but found no succor. You'd have to speak to the Empties to find out more. They hold the end of the tale and hold it tightly."
"Aren't you usually at war?" Lilly had to voice the question. That tone was far more respectful than she'd expected.
"Hah! We respect all our enemies! They help us progress to enlightenment! Every battle, every death is one step closer to nirvana! Also they have the most fascinating history. Did you know their first king founded the place as a way to protect his people? They gladly served and named themselves his peasants! The Empties? They burn in many ways. There's a reason they favor fire." Goku turned very serious. "That sort of fury is integral to how they survive."
That sounded strangely familiar. Hadn't Bolt talked a bit about that? Or perhaps his parents. Lilly would have to speak with them sometimes.
"In more crude terms, they're a bunch of prickly pyromaniacs. Not the most flattering description admittedly. That goes to their nuns. They are scorchingly hot! You would not believe the nights I had exploring that aspect." The words and salacious tone destroyed every bit of respect Lilly had been building towards the expert.
The next few minutes were of Lilly trying her level best to kill Goku. She had no chance at all doing it. She knew it. She still was determined to try!
"Haha, good! You've learned the only real lesson you should know! If you see the Buddha, Kill the Buddha!" The expert egged her on with all his considerable ability.
"You're not a Buddha!!!" Lilly shouted back.
"Right here and now I am!"
"Gaaaah!"
Lilly ended the day very, very tired.
--
Posted tomorrow's early, whoops. Ah well, you get it early.
"Hahah!" The expert led as she stepped into the arena. "I have been doing this many years. It is the first time I have seen a pilot be tired upon entry! Do you require a nap? I could graciously provide a lap or two!"
Lilly stared at the opposing training mech with dead eyes. She was tired, this mech felt scratchy, and she was using a damned staff. She was practically done with this. She wouldn't say that. "No laps. I'm quite happy with my hubby!" She said instead with a bright and chipper tone. "Ready to go when you are!"
"Lying doesn't suit you little bird." Goku said back and laughed again. "Though I am not one to judge! Ohaha! First, let us dispense with these. While I prefer the staff, it wouldn't do to have it done here!" The mech threw away the staff and picked up a one handed training sword that had been placed around the arena. "Come, this is what you used this tournament! Quite the show as well birdy."
"What's with the bird statements?" Lilly asked with a slight grumble as she picked up a sword.
Training mechs were not bottom of the barrel mechs. They did however frequently handle like them. They were designed for ease of piloting and modularity typically. This meant they didn't do much and didn't do it well. Goku was actually likely suffering more than she was here though. An expert had a specifically tailored mech for them. She knew for a fact that they had specific tweaks that made them actually dangerous for normal users. Using what he was using was likely like trying to pilot with both hands behind his back and legs tied together. She had a bit of respect for him for that at least. There wasn't a hint of discomfort in his voice or in the mech's movement.
"Oh, didn't you know? Your mech was a clear reference to our history! Hah!" The opposing mech moved forward and stabbed.
Lilly deflected it slowly and immediately recognized what was going on. Since they couldn't do it fast, they were doing it slow. Which was a very deceptively difficult training technique. Playing slowly meant you had to think about each move very deliberately. Speeding up meant you 'lost.' It was meant to make you think about footwork and positioning. A master could beat you three movements before you actually lost.
"Here I thought it was just because Bolt wanted a bird form." Lilly muttered back.
"Perhaps, his companions certainly did reference it. It goes Vermillion Bird, Azure Dragon, White Tiger, and Black Tortoise! Tis an old Earth tale! Your fiancé loves his references from what I have seen in his work. I do approve by the way. We do not need to cling to history, but the tales? Oh they still hold truths even today!" Goku tapped her visor as he finished the first bout. "Point to me. You are terrifyingly good, but you do love to leap before you look."
"Making me feel like my first lessons again." The girl shot back as they reset their stances.
"I recognize a style in that movement and can guess who you learned it from. I might have even fought with him at my side. He was left for good reasons. It pleases me to see that his legacy is more than ruin." Goku paused and gestured to the arena they were in. "Another weapon? You are one that refuses limits I see, so let us not be limited to just one!"
Rolling her eyes, Lilly grabbed at the rifle. It didn't even shoot. It would just register hits. Even in that he beat her handily. It wasn't even that he was a better shot. That was a given. His positioning and timing was absolutely uncanny.
"How many times has it been?" Goku mused as they switched again. "It does not matter. All candidates have something core to them. You have already found it I think. You should have cut away the dross and stepped forward, but you have not. Strange, yet we are all strange haha!" This time they had a pair of knives.
"You more than most." The candidate said before she could sensor herself.
"Oh yes, I am one of a kind." The expert said without shame. "But I am not the one being taught, so you must deal with my eccentricities rather than the other way around!" He followed this up by getting both knives through her guard and tapping them on her arms. "You are more suited to movement I see."
"Easiest to do in this one. I can do stillness too." Lilly volunteered.
"Oh? Then pick up a shield. I will use the staff, but restrain myself." Goku ordered and the other pilot complied.
She didn't do better. The skill disparity was large enough that she frankly couldn't win no matter what. It was amusing at least. She didn't get to practice pure shield work that often anymore.
"You chose what you chose." Venerable Goku mused out loud. "Dangerous to you and more I believe, but I won't judge! Let us talk of history instead. First, reset your stance. Move the off hand exactly when you would retaliate and no other time."
Lilly did as instructed while her opponent spoke.
"Long ago, in the diaspora, there were three friends who gathered people together, searching for another life! Hah! It wasn't that simple, but that is how the story goes. One brough rations, because he was ever looking towards the future. One brought a stone in an ugly shape, because he always held the truths of the past. One brought a book of paper, that he could write the present."
In her cockpit Lilly made sure to grumble with the radio mic off. Why would he want history?! Also damnit this was worse than when she was young!
"While they traveled they had an argument about the path forward once they reached a barren system with a single planet. The one who saw the future said that this plant would found their nation. The others said that paradise would be found elsewhere. So they split into one and two. The one stayed and ate and had his followers thrive as much as they could around that plant and it's children. The two traveled more to other systems, eager to find a paradise for themselves. After years the rock grew too heavy for the second. He found himself weary and unwilling to continue. So out of pride and a desire to salve his mistake he found a mountain and placed the rock atop it. He called them both holy!"
Goku gestured into the distance emphatically and Lilly almost managed to get him with her shield.
"It's still there by the way. An ugly rock on an ugly mountain. It's the founding mountain Shangri-la. I swear I've seen prettier rocks in my back yard." The expert paused. "The third traveled the most, but found no succor. You'd have to speak to the Empties to find out more. They hold the end of the tale and hold it tightly."
"Aren't you usually at war?" Lilly had to voice the question. That tone was far more respectful than she'd expected.
"Hah! We respect all our enemies! They help us progress to enlightenment! Every battle, every death is one step closer to nirvana! Also they have the most fascinating history. Did you know their first king founded the place as a way to protect his people? They gladly served and named themselves his peasants! The Empties? They burn in many ways. There's a reason they favor fire." Goku turned very serious. "That sort of fury is integral to how they survive."
That sounded strangely familiar. Hadn't Bolt talked a bit about that? Or perhaps his parents. Lilly would have to speak with them sometimes.
"In more crude terms, they're a bunch of prickly pyromaniacs. Not the most flattering description admittedly. That goes to their nuns. They are scorchingly hot! You would not believe the nights I had exploring that aspect." The words and salacious tone destroyed every bit of respect Lilly had been building towards the expert.
The next few minutes were of Lilly trying her level best to kill Goku. She had no chance at all doing it. She knew it. She still was determined to try!
"Haha, good! You've learned the only real lesson you should know! If you see the Buddha, Kill the Buddha!" The expert egged her on with all his considerable ability.
"You're not a Buddha!!!" Lilly shouted back.
"Right here and now I am!"
"Gaaaah!"
Lilly ended the day very, very tired.
--
Posted tomorrow's early, whoops. Ah well, you get it early.
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Jedidusk
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but aren't there four planets in this system? how did the junkyard get populated?
also what planet is which?
lost star
Connoisseur.
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Oh boy, I'm going to have to make this clear, but they're in seperate systems. Each nation is composed of over a hundred planets. The Mech Touch does scale decently on the scifi side in some areas.
The Junkyard stays independent because it's a nice mix of too annoying to get to but useful enough to dispute.
These are old Chinese myths. The four are very commonly referenced in different ways.
RandolphWill
Getting sticky.
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I really like Vermillion cause it reminds me of a fire hawk, where a hawk would set fire to the brush so animals escape and it choose what it wants from the fleeing prey. Great Zen Buddhist quote by the way.
Jedidusk
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yeah? but you also have 4 "empires" alike in the last chapter Lily said that Bolt had pride in never bending the knee vs in this chapter it's said that the "knightly" empire had pride in bending the knee and the staff guys honor the past vs the other guys who I forgot looked to the Future but I don't know the chinese myths to say who lines up to what
but the Junkyard is a single planet? that seems a bit unfair as soon as they try to stand on their own they're gonna have to fight 3 empires 100x stronger then them . . . hmm how well do mechs fair against orbital bombardment?
