View source for 1845/Red MechanicAloe Molments

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2024/08/08
|Location=Plot Room 2
|Synopsis=An escape from the sun for Aloe turns into spooking poor Molly and a far more in-depth talk about polotics with Amy than she expected to field that night. For the first time, Aloisia reveals the true reason why she fights.
|Cast of Characters=25,216,107
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:25|Molly Skyline (25)}} has posed:'''<br>It's the middle of the afternoon, somewhere in Tokyo; somewhere, where there's a space for a mechanic's shop. All four bay doors are open to let fresh air in; especially sine the shop is at the bottom of a building where there's plenty of shade at this hour to help deal with the heat. From within come the tell-tale sounds of lots of work getting done, from air tools to some hammering and someone using an acetylene torch, using thermodynamics to improve the attitudes or stuck parts. <br> <br> It's definitely the sort of shop that caters to a particular crowd. There's no minivans here; everything that's either up on a hoist or parked out front is meant to go faster than your average family car. Bright colors, spoilers, custom paint jobs, and tuned engines that whine at high speeds. Most of the cars are Japanese; there's a few European models, exactly one Camero, and not a whiff of a Hyundai anywhere. <br> <br> Sitting on a stool behind the desk in the front room for receiving customers is one Molly Skyline. The purplenette is occupying herself by flipping through a magazine about, appropriately, tuning cars. Also, she's working on a piece of chewing gum, and trying to blow the biggest bubble she can; and she can do this, as all the customers with cars getting worked on have left, not to return until their cars are finished. Nobody really waits around in a plae like this, it's not like people come here for flat tires. So, Molly's attention dances back and forth between the magazine, and the Youtube music videos playing on her phone. And the phone that rings every now and then, with someone looking for an appointment. Which they can have... if they want to wait two weeks.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:216|Aloisia Stauss (216)}} has posed:'''<br>The middle of the afternoon, not too long after classes, but not too close to classes either. And frankly...<br><br>It's /too hot to do evil plots/. <br><br>Which is why Aloisia Stauss is just walking along, quietly debating what to do with her afternoon because going in to work at Obsidian sounds like the last thing she wants to do right now, especially since that usually means doing paperwork or busiwork half the time since the war with the Steiner family is effectively on hold due to clever positioning and political red tape on the half of a certain TSAB agent. <br><br>Aloisia pauses as she starts to walk past that mechanic's shop, the pleasant shade, and a relatively pleasant smell of a mix of metal, oils, torches... and is that food nearby she smells as well? <br><br>Aloisia pauses, looking into the shop a few moments, before stepping into the building and near that desk to observe the workers. She glances towards Molly, "Pardon me, I'm just stepping in to cool off a moment." <br><br>Possibly, reassuringly to Molly, the protection of the Veil keeping Aloisia from recognizing her...though it's likely Molly recognizes Aloisia from before she activated her knight armor the other day. <br> <br>

:'''{{#var:107|Amy Faust (107)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The vague sense that these are heavily customized or... enthusiast? cars rather than what Amy would consider a... normal car, for driving to and from places, is the most Amy can pick up from peering around as she wanders into the shop looking for Molly, peering into the bay doors to see if she's working there before coming inside the... store? part. Whatever you call that. And upon seeing Molly she smiles. "Molly!" She starts to run up to hug her, but slows as she sees girl-who-has-a-royal-beef-with-Hannah.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Although... Aloisia doesn't actually ''know'' about her relationship with Hannah, does she...<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She resumes running up to hug. "Good to see you! So, uh." She looks towards the bay. "Into cars, huh?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:25|Molly Skyline (25)}} has posed:'''<br>"Amy-chan!" Molly slips off the stool and comes out from behind the desk to return Amy's embrace. She squeezes, then steps back and leans against the counter she was just sitting behind. And also, reaches over to silence the K-Pop she was listening to. (She was just curious about it.) "Oh, yeah, I'm getting into cars," she admits, blushing softly. "I wanna learn to drift and be a racecar driver someday." <br> <br> Molly beams, taking note that someone else has entered the store as well as Amy, but not shifting her attention just yet. "Like, don't worry, I am absolutely still a nerd and there's no way I'm ever giving up Dungeons and Dragons and RIFTS and video games and Lego, and everything else that goes with being a nerd, I just... wanna be able to floor it in a car that goes three hundred kilometers an hour." <br> <br> Molly shrugs her shoulders all no-big-deal, and adds, "One sec, duty calls." She turns to approach the other person in the shop and <br> <br> it's <br> <br> HER. <br> <br> Molly falters, and her jaw goes a bit slack; her eyes widen, and she suddenly goes from talking all bubbly and with confidence to going uhm, err, ahh, uhm, uhhhhh. Because she's here. <br> <br> The knight who absolutely beat her into the ground is in her Mother's tuner shop.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:216|Aloisia Stauss (216)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "'Sup." Aloisia comments towards Amy, lifting a hand to wave at her with a reasonably pleasant smile. It's somewhat tempered by the fact she is currently using a small fan produced from her pocket to fan herself against the heat. Look when you grew up on a mostly-barren dustball of a planet further from the local sun, this level of hot and humid is hard to handle even after being on the planet for a while. "Cars are neat, yeah. Explosion-based engines fueled by ancient animal bone juice are certainly an interesting concept." But she supposes that since most people on the planet can't use magic, it was a development out of necessity. <br><br>Sure, the conversation hadn't /really/ been at her, but y'know. It's fine. A conversation that she otherwise doesn't interrupt, since she was mostly just watching the workers work and fanning herself to cool off. Because while she /could/ henshin and cool herself off magically ...that would be moderately irresponsible and could cause unnecessary panic in people who recognize her! <br><br>...Like the girl who was apparently looking at her and stuttering and failing to say anything. Aloisia turns fully towards Molly, light purple eyes taking the girl in for a few moments, the look on her face relatively neutral and unassuming as she looks at the girl. Widened eyes. Slack jaw. Stumbling words. She steps towards Molly relatively calmly, reaching a hand out towards her to attempt to take her hand, and if so, she would casually tug the girl closer to her, just enough that she can get right next to her ear and murmur softly. <br><br>"Take a deep breath. Whatever your panic is, if it's because of a fight, I don't recognize or know you. If it's because of something else... I still don't recognize or know you and I'm not here to cause problems. Just admiring the hard work of skilled people." <br><br>And then she'd release Molly's hand and break away from her, moving back over to lean against the desks giving a long exhale. "Phew, the humidity is /devastating/ today." It was bad enough she was even partially taking off her jacket to allow more space for air to move. <br> <br>

:'''{{#var:107|Amy Faust (107)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Amy chuckles at Molly's concern about losing nerd cred. "It's ''fine!''" She reassures, smiling. "You can be a car nerd and still be into nerd stuff! I mean... who do you think ''designs'' cars and their parts, right?" She sticks her thumb out towards the garage. "I bet almost everyone with a mechanical engineering degree has geeky hobbies."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Though I confess I, personally, have no experience with car stuff beyond the stuff you can fix on the side of the road or in your driveway. If the serpentine belt or the alternator goes, I'm ''sunk.'' The closest I ever came to stuff like ''this'' is reading ''Misfile.''"<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Amy turns to look into the bay then, continuing her rambling obliviously. "Hey, ''there's'' an example, right? How huge of a geek do you have to be to draw a webcomic almost every day for like, twelve years? ...Now what ''I'' don't get is, Tokyo's so crowded, where the heck does anybody actually like, ''race'', or really put these cars to the test?"<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And then she realizes Molly's gone quiet, and Aloisia is talking about fights. Amy turns back around, looking between them. "Molly?" She walks over to put an arm around her friend and give her a side-hug, looking questioningly at Aloisia. "What was that about not remembering people you got into fights with? What happened?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:25|Molly Skyline (25)}} has posed:'''<br>Amy is still talking, and Molly is still listening. Well, she's meaning to, anyway. The things Amy has to say are always important and meaningful, and yes she's got good nerd cred and she's geeky for all kinds of things -- of course she is, she doesn't wear round-framed spectacles for nothing, same as the patches on her jacket all have meanings. It's just. <br> <br> The Knight, from the other day, is holding her hand and whispering in her ear. And Molly's just kind of gone like a dear in the headlights. And the headlights are attached to a rather dangerous device user who could probably mop the shop floor with her if she so chose. <br> <br> Well, actually, there's no 'probably' about it. <br> <br> "Uhm." Molly gulps. "Park. Other day. You were in a bad mood." She doesn't move or even breath as Aloisia takes her hand and whisper to her -- here, in her Mother's shop, where there's people she care about and doesn't want to get hurt. <br> <br> "Uhm, uhh, sorry," she mumbles to Amy, and reaches up to adjust her spectacles. "Just uhm... it's okay, it's nothing, no big deal." She scratches the back of her head, and ahems softly. "Yeah, but, and you're right, yes. I'm a big nerd. And, I'm not really sure where people test their cars, I haven't gotten to ask Mom that yet."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:216|Aloisia Stauss (216)}} has posed:'''<br>"That's a pretty universal that mechanics and meisters of all types tend to be huge nerds in one way or another, yes. Either really loving their craft or ... other things." Aloe comments towards Amy casually. The question of not remembering people she got into fights with and what happened gets a helpless shrug. "I do not know, but it is not the normal response for one to see me and suddenly lose the ability to speak, so I figured it was likely due to our extracirricular activities and that strange ... effect... of this city was making me unable to recognize her while she recognized myself." The knight comments coolly. "Especially since I engaged in some ... aggressive ... training of a couple of newbies recently." <br><br>...One of those was just an excuse to vent her frustrations but that's beside the point. <br><br>Deer in the headlights that she was holding the hand of momentarily. Aloe could almost see the fear as she backs off from Molly. And then the talk about the park. "Aaah." She pauses. "Ooh. OOOH. I'm sorry, yeah, I'm not normally that bad, I just was stuck in a moment of rumination about how awful my home was compared to this planet and it honestly was ticking me off for unreasonable reasons." Aloe waves her hand gently towards Molly. "I got too close to a dark..." She glances towards the mechanics nearby. "...Room... experiment and that stuff messes with your mind." <br><br>... It was probably for the best that she wasn't intending to cause active problems, she was pretty sure that most of the mechanics were keeping one eye on her now. That might just be paranoia on Aloe's part, though. <br><br>"So, uh... cars. Nerdery. Those are both neat things. Eh-heh." Hm. <br><br>...Should she leave? Maybe she should leave. <br><br>She even starts to go towards the door to exit. Aaaaand the sight and thought of entering into the sun again causes her pause. Uuuuugh. <br><br>"I'm pretty sure there's some actual tracks I've seen around town and some longer strips of road that might be usable late at night for less-than-legal activities after hours."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:107|Amy Faust (107)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Amy listens to Molly and is glad she's alright-ish, but is still on her guard against Aloisia. Extracurricular activities. She nods. "It's refreshing to have someone speak openly about it in hopes I know what they're talking about."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;How awful her home is-- "I'm sorry, ''what?!'' You are from magic space society, how is your home ''worse'' than this place? How the ''fuck'' did Hannah's parents let that happen?"<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Amy sighs, and relaxes a little as she sees Aloisia moving to leave. "...I really do want to be friends with everybody and help everyone, even if folks make it hard sometimes. If you have a grievance against the people who run your world, I can understand. We see Democracy as the superior government form on this planet for a reason, even if in practice our societies remain considerably more... heirarchical.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She looks over Aloisia sympathetically. "Although, do you really think ''that man'' is going to institute a more egalitarian form of government if he gets off this rock?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:25|Molly Skyline (25)}} has posed:'''<br>Molly breathes a sigh of relief, as it seems that Aloisia is not going to pick a fight with her today -- and, more importantly, isn't going to do anything that would put the people in the shop, and one of her Moms in particular, in danger. <br> <br> "Uhh, yeah, the park," she answers, gathering her wits and forcing her words to come out in a tone that isn't a high-pitched squeak. She mostly manages it. Like, grade A student almost manages it. <br> <br> She's really close. <br> <br> "And, y'know, I thought I was doing well, right up until the moment you uhh... did that... thing. At the end. Which I couldn't get up from." <br> <br> Molly is turning beat red, as she finally gets around to returning Amy's side-hug in kind. "Thanks," she murmurs, looking sideways at Amy, "Sorry, I was just. Y'know. Nervous." Either she's downplaying things or she's taking nervousness to new heights. "Uhm, anyway, yeah. When I'm a little older and I have a car I'd be up for some... racing, just need to make sure the cops don't catch on before we're done. And there are actual tracks. Do not tell my Moms I said that." She glances back Amy's direction, "And yeah, she's from another planet and it's very fighty, apparently."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:216|Aloisia Stauss (216)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "Oh, no, it's not that where I grew up is awful because of things like that, it's just, y'know. A mining colony. On a resource-rich but greenery-minimal planet. Also there's not nearly as many aggressive species here on this island." Aloisia explains, raising a hand relatively calmingly. "Don't get me wrong I don't like Hannah's family but not because of Tungeturn itself. I just happened to be born there and had minimal opportunity to leave due to having parents who had a successful career there." <br><br>...Also because she wasn't allowed to leave but she didn't mention or necessarily know that. <br><br>The talk of Otto gets one of those light purple eyes facing towards Amy. "You have likely had different experiences, and it is possible that the Countess is not necessarily a bad leader." She pauses. "...But do you really think a 15 year old is really capable of making the decisions to run a country? Because at this point, that is the decision to make. A teenager or 'That man', as you put it." She shakes her head. "But I'm not here to talk about such things. I am here because mechanics are wondrous workers of their craft and also the sun makes me feel as if I am melting outside at the moment." <br><br>There is a pause as Molly talks, and Aloe turns her full attention towards her. "You were, in fact, doing fine. You could use more practice, and a bit more... situational awareness that comes with experience, but your basics were not bad." She actually steps closer to Molly, her arms crossing thoughtfully. "That and, perhaps, ensuring that you call for allies sooner than later." She adds, her tone dropping lower so that it is drowned out mostly by the mechanical work outside of those three. "While it's possible they may not have arrived in time to significantly aid in the fight, they can usually arrive quickly enough they could have driven me off had I not relented on my own." She doesn't comment on the fact she generally holds back on this planet to avoid significantly harming people, necessary or not. <br><br>"..Though it is not the same, I have heard word of ... dough ... kart ... tracks that one can rent to experience speed and competition in a relatively safe environment before you have access to vehicles." Is she still trying to be helpful and continue to be nonthreatening? <br><br>Yes, yes she is.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:107|Amy Faust (107)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;A teenager or Otto. Amy says, immediately and with complete seriousness, "There are ''absolutely'' people in government, even in a position to become the leader of a country, who are worse rulers than a teenager. Have you ''seen'' what is happening in my home country." She does look a little ashamed.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Amy continues: "People who only care about power will crush everyone under them -- including you and your world -- to get more power. Otto will throw your nation's lives away in a bloody war, just so he can try to claim the Emperor-level title. Space Emperor. Whatever. I know how it works, I've played CK2, I get the importance of getting that bigger title for your dynasty."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Amy crosses her arms. "Now, of the two of them, which one is more likely to be talked into ''not'' doing that and, signing a Space Magna Carta or whatever? Which one is going to be horrified at the human ''cost'' of glory? Because I don't think it's Otto."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Amy squints. "Wait... were you... actually giving advice and respect to your opponent? Damn, maybe I can get along with you after all. You can be like. The new reasonable one, now that Sunbreaker's retired."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She smiles slightly, hopefully, and holds out a hand to shake. "What do you say to that?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:25|Molly Skyline (25)}} has posed:'''<br>"I..." Molly moves back behind the desk, basically so she can sit down. For a moment she just listens to the sounds of airtools and whatnot being used in the shop; and she looks over her shoulder and through the open door, fixing her eyes for a moment on a white Porsche that's in the middle of getting a serious makeover. <br> <br> "Yeah, okay, I am extremely bad at calling for help. I get into fights, I think I can handle it, I don't want to bother people by calling them so they can show up just in time to see the end, and then I get my butt kicked all over the pavement, or... park... or whatever." She sighs, and pitches forwards to rest one elbow on the desk, and plant her hand on her cheek. "But I think I'm getting better! I did beat a Youma solo a while ago. Like, right before Sunbreaker burned me to a crisp and it took me a while to get better. But hey! I'm still alive and I'm still fighting." <br> <br> The purplenette looks back and forth between Amy and Aloisia. "So, also, I have absolutely no idea who or what you're talking about," she adds. "Who's Otto? And what's the space empire you're on about? ...Don't worry," she adds, looking to Aloisia, "I remember you're from another planet."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:216|Aloisia Stauss (216)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"I have not seen what is happening in your home country. The events of this country keep most of my attention. Plus I am unsure what your home country is." Aloisia, looking over Amy thoughtfully as she muses on that. The talk of Otto caring only about power, that he'd throw the nation's lives away. She gives a long sigh at that. "I have been taught different on Otto's desires, on what he will do in the long run. The wrongs that the Steiner family have done, that Otto intends to right." She pauses at that, closing her eyes as she thinks on that. <br><br>"All I know is, the decision that the parents of both Hannah's parents and mine own to support Otto's faction... have meant one simple truth for me." <br><br>"I have lost nearly everything. I have only one thing left, and that is my position as a soldier. I have only one hope left, that my parents were captured, jailed, and not executed for treason. That should Otto win, there is a small chance that, maybe, I can perhaps... have some semblance of a life beyond being a soldier back."<br><br>"...Because otherwise I have nothing." <br><br>She gives a soft sigh, reaching to take that hand. "I am not here to harm this world, or its people... and frankly... I find the faintest spark of joy in watching the growth of mine enemies, to see the potential of those here. I do not know that I am necessarily reasonable." <br><br>A slight shake, but the hand is released quickly. Her gaze turns towards Molly, listening to her as she talks. She is silent as she simply listens to her. She shakes her head afterwards. She gives a soft sight. "I am from another world which is embroiled in a war of succession. That is the extent of what you should bother yourself with beyond that I am your enemy, with the assurance that...assuming nothing changes, I have no intent to remove any lives from the cycle of this planet." She says softly. "And that you should call for friends before engaging, rather than showing up without any form of backup to a site where someone is suffused with dark energy, because, luckily for you, my darkest thoughts aren't aimed toward others." She says simply. "Perhaps they are not needed. Perhaps the fight is over before they arrive. But at least the fight will be over with your victory." <br><br>Her tone becomes slightly darker, "Than with you flattened into the pavement and, at best, needing taken to the hospital, and at worst, to a mortuary." <br> <br>

:'''{{#var:107|Amy Faust (107)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"I'm from America." Amy states. "This world has already been destroyed by hatred once; the adults of this world seek to do it again, or to let it happen, and they don't need a demon's help this time."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She listens. To Aloisia's sad tale, and to her evaluation of Molly's carelessness. Amy nods. "She's right. 'Never enter a Witch's Labyrinth alone' probably also goes for fighting anyone consuming an energy field larger than their head." She states, somehow solemnly and blithely at the same time.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Then she turns to Aloisia. "Dude. You ''just said'' your mind was impaired hopped up on Dark Energy. Otto uses it and you think he's gonna be a stable ruler? But..."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Amy sighs. "...I get... wanting to have a life. When I signed up for this, I figured I was going to... well, I figured magical battle was probably risking death every time. And ''then'' I found out that I was turned into a magical killing machine that probably puts whatever like, magitech hunter-killer drones space has to shame. Designed to hunt horrors and to survive battles that would kill anyone else... But not designed to survive the war." <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Amy shakes her head. "A year in I am... kind of ''astonished'' how few losses we've had." Usagi doesn't want 'people died and came back to life' spread around, so Amy has to pretend no one died."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"I... don't actually know what I'm going to do if I survive to adulthood. I'm still kind of wrapping my brain around the idea that I ''deserve'' a life, and I can't really... ''imagine'' anything."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She puts a hand on Aloisia's shoulder and looks into her eyes. "''You'' deserve a life. I hope you can have one. But I'm taking Otto down..." she pauses for a second to mentally check that this is honest and true, and decides that if it means her friend's life it is, "...even if it kills me."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Admittedly, if she fails, she doubts her Witch will be able to finish the job.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;...Disposable soldiers that turn into horrible monsters when they die. Man... Amy suddenly wonders if Kyubey's people developed this magic ''from'' enhancements designed for some kind of magical kamikaze soldier. ...It would make a lot of sense.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"I'm sure you can have a life, whatever new world comes."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Amy then turns to Molly to explain: "So, Ancient Belka is like this lost ancient civilization that developed... well, the kind of crazy lost technology that Chrono's organization wants to collect and seal away, I guess. Modern Belka is I guess, like, culturally descended from it? I don't think it's an extant, unified political ''entity'', though, so much as a cultural one."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"But," Amy starts to pace, holding a finger up. "Imagine if like. Medieval France, or Prussia, or whatever, got a ruler with ''huge'' aspirations, who hearkened back to the Holy Roman Empire. If they could conquer all of Western Europe, then although not directly politically descended from it, they could sort of... claim to have reformed, ''reunited'' the Empire, right? I ''think'' that's kind of the same deal as what Otto wants to do. Except with countries that span multiple ''planets'', and an accordingly higher death toll."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Amy stops pacing, and looks back to Aloisia. "Do I have that about right?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:25|Molly Skyline (25)}} has posed:'''<br>Molly scratches the back of her head and sighs softly, "I don't really have to imagine a European nation going on a conquering spree all that hard," she explains, "I'm British, and we sorta did that, fairly recently. We basically did control the world." She bites her bottom lip in thought for a moment. "Well, the oligarchs controlling England controlled the world. The average British person was just grist for the mill as much as anyone else, really." <br> <br> The purplenette wasn't there in France; she was tasked with guarding the homefront, where absolutely nothing happened, and continues to feel a medly of sourness and guilt about it, that everyone went off and risked themselves and she effectively did nothing to help. And it shows a little, on her face, but she banishes the thought. <br> <br> "Yeah, I need to be better about calling for help, I won't argue with that. Especially when there's plenty of help to call on. ...I have sort of a bad habit of engaging up close, too. I'm an artillery mage, I should be standing back and letting other people get up close while I just... blast from range." She shrugs her shoulders lightly, "I'm good at blasting from range. Close quarter battle isn't my thing." <br> <br> Of course, what Amy says doesn't just make her unhappy, it's sobering. They haven't really had losses, that's true. Things have overall been going shockingly well. Aside from, on Molly's part, being fake death-cursed, burnt to a crisp for real, and then smashed into the pavement by a Knight who's now in her Mother's shop, talking about interstellar politics. <br> <br> "I know what life I want when I'm older," she states. "I want to drive one of those." She points towards the shop full of tuner cars, like the nearby white Porsche and the Nissan GT-R beside it. "And I want to drive it ral fast, where you get paid real well for winning." She licks her lips, pushing back from the desk and sitting up straighter. "And then, y'know what? I want to donate my winnings, to humans rights groups that are fighting for LGBT people and protecting trans kids." <br> <br> "Honestly, what I want to do... and I just... I hope I can do it. I'm always worried I won't be good enough. But no matter what happens, I want to fight for other people, wether it's casting spells to beat down Youmas or trying to win a race so I can give a bunch of money to charity."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:216|Aloisia Stauss (216)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The talk of Otto using it and if he's going to be a stable ruler or not gets a slightly uncomfortable shift from Aloe in response. "...He didn't use it before, to my knowledge. It's possible something pushed him to change, or to make things desperate. Frankly, I am only ... moderately informed of what's happened since arriving here." <br><br>She knows that Otto's been largely fighting a less than successful battle until recently though. The kind of losing battle that would push someone to use something they know is dangerous. She listens somewhat to Amy's comment on what she's been turned into, not really adding her own comments for a while as Amy talks. Lets her get out her talk of the astonishment at minimal losses. The hand on her shoulder isn't immediately responded to, as the girl shifts a bit in place. <br><br>Thoughts playing through her head as one of her hands shifts. <br><br>"... This is not really your battle. Though I am not so conceited as to try to tell you what you should risk your life on... honor dictates that this squabble should impact the world drawn unwittingly into as minimally as possible." <br><br>Honor. Heh. As if she had any. Deserved any. <br><br>"That description is ... not that far off, though Otto is not intent to be like the ancient kaisers of the past. Our history is one of pride taken too far. A bloody history that nobody wishes to see repeated. All of this was supposed to be over in an instant, and yet..." She shakes her head. "Well, that is neither here nor there. ...We have our positions, and frankly, it comes down to the simple fact I have but one path forward." <br><br>....One she doesn't see really ending in that tiny glimmer of hope. <br>But that's fine.<br>She doesn't deserve it.<br><br>Aloe glances out the door, the sun starting to go down, and then she looks back towards Molly. Listening to her as she talks. She gives a small nod towards her. "Things to work on. Either to vary your attacks and abilities so that you can function if forced into short range combat, because it will happen, as you will be a high priority target, or to get better at making it so they can't get to you to be that priority target." She gives a soft exhale, closing her eyes. <br><br>"You are worrying about a future yet to come. You are worrying about things that you cannot know yet." Aloe shifts briefly into a boxing stance to lightly attempt to tap Molly's shoulder with a gentle jab. "All you can do now is focus on the next step towards that future. Finishing your school. Getting your license. Earning your way to having one of those cars." <br><br>She turns on her heel, waving her hand lazily over her shoulder. "And I? Should get going now that the sun is down enough that I think I can stand being out and about again." <br> <br>

:'''{{#var:107|Amy Faust (107)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Red eyes narrow slightly, and Amanda states firmly, "Hannah is the first person who saw worth in me as a ''person'', rather than for some imagined potential projected on me. If the only way to end this succession conflict with her alive is stopping Otto, who is also, by the way, a monster, then..."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Amy blinks, and then realization and surprise show on her face as she holds her hands to the sides of her head in shock. "Ah wait, I basically just declared myself her knight that'd die for her, ''shit,'' that's ''another'' death flag, I really ''am'' on track to be La Pucelle in this story..." &gt;_&lt;;<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She takes a breath, and stands up with her hands at her side. "Anyway, I don't truck with any sense of 'honor' that says her friends shouldn't help her. Besides, if he was ''smart'' he'd be focusing on getting off this rock. If he says Hannah's dead, what are they gonna do, ''come check''? And we're a bunch of ''teenagers'', you think ''we'' have the resources to find a way off faster? By the time Hannah escapes he'll already have his power secured."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Amy sighs. "...You ''are'' the most reasonable of our enemies, now. I... Like I don't look forward to fighting you, but I supposed it will be a welcome relief from fighting youma and people who want to steal everyone's happiness or destroy the world or whatever."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And she turns and hugs Molly with a worried expression, not... sure of what all this bodes for the future, but sure that a hug would be nice.<br> <br>
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