[IC] TotMV:G^2: Clash of Fate: The Barracks (Social/Prep Phase)

[rustytengo]

Bridgett was surprised at the mentioning of destroying magic but from the sound of it, that wasn't something that Alexandria was meant to do anymore so it made her feel a bit better. She would have been a bit more surprised at the talk of undead and vampires but do to the group she has been traveling with which had dragons, giant metal ladies, crazy snake plant lady things, and other things that Bridgett really only ever read about in books she was a bit more used to that kind of stuff now.

 

"i....like ...pastries...and..tea..too..I also...like reading....books...and umm...flying." Bridgett said in her shaky voice while playing with her braid a bit before glancing up a Jeanne for a moment before casting her eyes back down." Umm....wasn't...Jeanne d'Arc.. the..name of...one of...the servants we...fought in the...last battles?" She asked slowly trying to gauge Jeanne's reaction so she could prepare to scamper away if she made her angry.

[Stalkerkain]

'Self control is only half the story,' he thought to himself. Others simply couldn't stand idly by as the few of their kind who could understand one another were being cut down. After all, hate begets hate, and the cycle seemed doomed to repeat itself far into the future. Soryn cleared his head of his train of thought, more concerned with moving on. Staring at Bridgett only made his puzzlement grow, as he couldn't discern why she seemed to be so stressed. "It seems that our interests are not all that too far off from one anoth-"

 

"And? What of it? You trying to pick a fight?" Jeanne replied to Bridgett, as she abruptly cut off Soryn. Tiny flames began to flicker around Jeanne, as if matching her temperament. He groaned, as it had dawned on him that it was Jeanne; Jeanne was the cause of Bridgett's distress, but he had never considered it to be a possibility until now. "I hadn't realized that your group was so weak to have needed to employ children to fight for you. Especially one who seems to have trouble speaking fluid sentences."

 

"That is hardly a fair assumption, Jeanne. I am certain Bridgett is capable of holding her own in a fight, which is why the group is glad to have her assistance. I would hardly consider that to be something a child is capable of. At the very least, if you still consider her as one, perhaps you ought to exercise some restraint," he hinted towards her, all the while trying to maintain as neutral a tone as possible. It was going to be a tall order to integrate Jeanne into a sociable relationship with people. The last thing he needed was to have to confront Jeanne, or at worst, Magna about her capacity to work cooperatively. Though he probably already knew her answer. "I know, how about when we are able to return to our settlement, we could make some pastries. While you may not have tasting receptors Alexandria, perhaps you may find some pleasure in the process of creating pastries, as I have found many others to have known."

 

"This is why I dislike children..." Jeanne muttered to herself.

[rustytengo]

Bridgett shuffled back a bit away from Jeanne at her words. "I....." Bridgett paused and swallowed trying to steady herself "didn't mean anything mean by it.....I was just wondering... If you were the same one....." she said doing her best to say things clearly if not any louder. "And umm.......I'm nineteen...not a child. I choose to help and fight.....because that's the one thing I can do." She finished with a bit dislike at being called a child.

[DragonRage]

"Hm.  Historical records indicate that Jeanne d'Arc was nineteen years old when she died.  Observational data suggests you have not grown up in the mean-time," Alexandria informs Jeanne, "There is no dead weight in this group.  Bridgett has contributed much to our battles in the past, and I see no reason why that might change in the future.  Furthermore, we all draw strength from one another.  Friendship and teamwork have a power beyond all others, and the only useless teammates are those who are actively sabotaging the group.  If she falters, I shall be her shield.  Should I falter, I have no doubt that she will rise to the challenge and strike down the most immediate threats, giving me time to recover.  To question the strength of one of us is to question us all, and I assure you this,"  Alexandria slams her left fist into her right palm and pulses her shield generators, sending a wave of glowing, pale yellow hexagons flowing in and out of visibility around her body.  "We shall not be found wanting.

 

"I have never tried baking before," She continues to Soryn, completely breaking her previously serious atmosphere, "I have tried to cook before, but my friends always insisted someone else do the job after my first few attempts.  Quite odd.  I'm certain I followed the recipes."

[Stalkerkain]

"And? What of it? Was I supposed to be moved by your sermon?" she said dismissively. Her voice was devoid of empathy, failing to show any remorse in her words. "You forget, that we Servants are not summoned of our own will. I fight not out of choice, but because I am ordered to. And I will do as such without hesitation, so long as there are enemies that stand in my way. Regardless of whether you're capable of fighting or not."

 

The flames extinguished themselves as soon as she finished speaking, reminded of Magna's directive to avoid attacking the others. She merely folded her arms and leaned against one of the walls in silence.

 

"I can't imagine... why. Recipes are certainly an excellent method for starting out, but whether it be cooking or baking, it is more about following one's intuition about what is right. The perfect recipe varies as vastly as the people in the world. Of course, you'll be joining me as well, won't you Jeanne?" he stated ambiguously. Jeanne merely shot him a sidelong glance, before closing her eyes once more.

[rustytengo]

Bridgett felt bad for Jeanne and it showed on her face she looked that servant."Umm...." it seemed as if she was going to say something but stopped once Soyrn started to talk.  After he was finished Bridgett cast her eyes down and bit her lip as she thought a for a bit. "I...don't know how to cook....or any recipes. The cooks....would usually make something.... and the maids would bring it to me...There was this nice lemon flavored cake that they would make.....but I don't know what it is called." She said looking a bit sad at not knowing what it was called.

[Ragnarok97071]

It would take some time, Lena doing her best to work with the pair to set up what they needed, but eventually they'd end up with a wide, secured pit several meters deep with a ladder on one end for access, as well as a small home for whomever would eventually end up taking care of these things, as that would almost certainly be necessary... unavailable, at the moment, sadly. It was passable work, viable, but not especially notable. 'Good Enough' in every sense of the phrase.

 

--

 

Several minutes later, the trio would emerge from the Geosphere again, appearing back in the barracks amid a quiet hum and a small flash of magic.

[DragonRage]

"Oh.  My.  She's so edgy!  It's adorable!"  Alexandria exclaims, utterly unimpressed (or perhaps just not buying) Jeanne's words, "Tell me she's sticking around, Soryn.  I haven't had this much fun since I kicked the Nihilus Councillor out of the Five.  Oh, he had a great look!  The chains, the spikes, the blades...  Black, white, and red is so easy to over-do, you know.  A little too much of any of them, and you'll just look silly.  But that bot had style!  Such a pity he squandered it acting like a stereotypical supervillain.  Some people just don't learn from their experiences.  Have you considered armor spikes, Jeanne?  Maybe made out of obsidian, for that glossy, wavy sheen?  It'd really bring out your eyes and make you look bigger, help you get that looming presence and strike fear into your enemies' hearts.  You might be stuck in community service now, but that's no reason to not have fun with it!  Maybe a nice, dark skirt too...  The armor's a step in the right direction, but with that much skin exposed you're just begging for a gunshot wound.  I can set you up with some lovely nonreflective metamaterials that'll look like you're wearing a moonless night.  Maybe line your cloak with them too.  It'll look slagging spooky, I tell you."

[Stalkerkain]

"You're asking the wrong person. And even if she were, I don't think you're doing a good job of making friends," he said, shaking his head in response to Alexandria's question. Granted, Jeanne wasn't being very co-operative either, but there was no need to push the envelope. Hopefully the both of them were civil enough to solve their own problems. If they even would accept Soryn's intervening to begin with.

 

"My armor serves its purpose well enough. There's no need for any more useless ornaments," Jeanne said callously. "I'll never understand why you all hold such an interest in me. Is it that amusing to torment the dead? I thought I was the only one who could see the entertainment in that."

[Chevaleresse]

The trio emerged close enough to Hiroki to elicit a noticeable jump of startlement from her; you'd think that she'd be used to strange people appearing out of thin air at this point, but this was not the case. She'd been idly searching for some peace and quiet, drifting away from the conversation in the other room. As it were, she took a moment to steady herself, then awkwardly waved at the two. She didn't recognize the girl, but she was fairly certain she at least remembered Gozer and Dackly's introduction if nothing else. "Um, hi," she said somewhat hesitantly. 

[Hal Henderics]

As she exits, she blinks (winks?) and smiles at the newcomer.

 

"Hello there, deary."  Dackly says.

 

"Greetings."  Gozer continues blankly.

[Chevaleresse]

"Um, hi," Hiroki repeated, before taking a moment to silently admonish herself for doing so. "You're, um, Gozer and Dackly, right? I don't know, um, you, though," she said, gesturing at the redheaded girl. Somewhat belatedly, she noticed that she actually stood an inch or two taller than her; an unusual experience for the mechanized fighter, to say the least. Though she'd had mixed experiences with people around her size; one of them was one of her only friends, and the other was a dangerous seeming lunatic who she was destined to fight and kill eventually. Oddly enough, Hiroki seemed more unnerved by the other human in the room, rather than the plant-gorgon and the flaming stone golem. 

[Hal Henderics]

"Yes. We are."  Gozer claims, while Dackly contorts into a reclining position with a grin.

 

Gozer, meanwhile, hasn't moved since exiting.

[Chevaleresse]

Another awkward moment of silence. Hiroki was evidently not particularly good at this whole talking to people thing. Eventually, though, she did happen upon an easier topic of conversation. "What, um, were you guys doing?" As far as she knew, the whole "pop into existence right near everyone else" was something that usually only happened once. Unless they'd turned invisible somehow, but she'd think there would have been a different transition than the one they'd arrived with. 

[Ragnarok97071]

Lena smiles somewhat awkwardly, then pulls up her pad of paper, writing on it for a moment before showing it to the other person.

 

Quote

I'm sorry, I didn't know that someone else had showed up since we left, and my Geosphere only takes me back to where I came from when I leave it, so I didn't have a choice in surprising you, but I wish I hadn't.

 

Pactmaker Lena Albright, pleased to make your acquaintence. I'm surprised you're so young for a military operation, are you also a Pactmaker?

 

[Hal Henderics]

"We were making a carepit for horrific monsters that I made through forbidden alchemy!"  Dackly cheers with a cheer.

[Chevaleresse]

Hiroki shook her head at the question, frowning. So this Lena couldn't talk? That, or she had some reason to want to hide her voice. . . but she was right here, so it's not like she was hiding anything else, unlike what she herself had been doing. And she didn't see why her being young had to matter, Queen was younger than she was and some of the other gods acted the same even if they were actually older. The spike of irritation showed on her face, before fading and being replaced with some degree of curiosity. . . and then concern at Dackly's words. "No, I'm a, um, tournament fighter. Mech tournaments, that is." She wanted to know what a "Pactmaker was, but there was a rather more pressing question. "More horrific monsters?"

[rustytengo]

Bridgett gave a small smile at Alexandria's comments. Deep down she wished that she had the confidence to say such things to some people, but being a giant metal lady probably helped Alexandria in that. "Umm...Why wouldn't we be interested in you? From...what we have been told...you were once heroes in your world....and that's interesting...or at least to me it is." Bridgett meekly said to Jeanne with a slight blush.   

[Ragnarok97071]

Lena nods a little, thinking, then writing again.

 

Quote

You fought in tournaments? I've never fought in anything other than a war, what's fighting someone without having to kill them like? What's a Mech?

 

They're apparently something called Squigs, and they're currently petrified until we find someone to watch after them, just in case.

 

Edited April 15, 2018 by Ragnarok97071

[Chevaleresse]

Hiroki winced at the first question. Fighting people without having to kill them. . . She missed it. It didn't feel right, even if she was saving other people. She didn't want to be going around killing people, she just wanted to prove her worth. "It's, um. Nice, I guess. I hate this war." It was strange; she actually missed fighting against the monsters. Though apparently the people in the group had decided to add more monsters to the mix. . . She didn't know what a Squig was, and it didn't sound that scary, but she'd withhold judgement until she saw them. "Um. . . A mech is a mechanical device that helps you fight and protects, um, you from harm until your Favor runs out. You can, um, get one by meditation, but most people use, um, the Divination system to design and modify them."

[Hal Henderics]

"Divination? How does that trick work?  I usually have to use Welders and Angry glares to make my mechs."  Dackly posits with a smirk of interest.

 

"It sounds as though what she calls a mech is closer to some type of complex energy field, shaped like a mech.  Would that be correct?"

[Chevaleresse]

"Um, I don't remember the exact, um details. You put your design into a computer, and the Diviner, um, sticks you with needle that draws out some of your Favor. Then once the design is um, calibrated, they put it back in and this makes the changes to your mech. Something about turning, um, nerve signals into Favor and back." It felt a bit awkward trying to explain the technology; she'd never had a particularly firm grasp on how it worked, always being more concerned with the engineering aspect of mech ombat. She could give a detailed rundown of how all of the systems in the Knight functioned, but she didn't want to admit that she didn't have a particularly solid grasp on how the Favor was actually manifested. "It's, um. . . it does physically exist, and it's stored in um, your mind, but it is made out of Favor." The non-answer would have to do; she wasn't honestly sure whether Gozer was correct or not. It was a bit of both, really.

[DragonRage]

"Huh.  This is usually the part where they agree, or else punch me in the face, and in either case feel better afterwards," Alexandria comments, taken slightly aback by Jeanne's apparent restraint, "I appear to have misjudged you, ma'am, and I believe I owe you an apology for that.  That does not happen often.  Ah, what a wonderful place this is, to hold such surprises."

[Stalkerkain]

"Heroes? What a joke. You call being burned at the stake the appreciation of a 'hero'? No, I believe they've come up with a word for that. Martyrdom." Jeanne scoffed at Bridgett. The naiveté of this girl was making her sick, and didn't even bother to mask her sneer.  "Don't apologize, because believe me, I'd like nothing more than to inflict more than just a punch to more people than just you right now. While I am able to maintain most of my autonomy, the person whom I have 'contracted' with prevents me from inflicting harm on your group. Foolish to think that 'she' thought of this ahead of time."

 

"It still doesn't change that people still looked up to you, Jeanne. That you were able to be a beacon of hope is what led people to believe in you as a hero," Soryn stated somberly.

 

"Tell that to the saint who was burnt at the cross," she replied sharply. "Though it is far too late for that."

 

 

[rustytengo]

Bridgett stepped back a bit as Jeanne sneered at her. She didn't know anything about the woman's past and didn't have any right to say anything she took a slow breath and spoke "You didn't become.....a hero because you died. NO one....is a hero because...of that." She said her voice still shaking a bit as she spoke.