2023-01-10: Cult of the Saurus
- Cast: Seolla Schweizer, Sousuke Sagara, Kaworu Nagisa
- Where: Tsutsujidai
- Date: U.C. 0097 01 10
- Summary: Seolla, Sousuke, and Kaworu end the evil menace of the Dinosaur Empire, ridding the world of their tyrannical spectre.
<Pose Tracker> Seolla Schweizer has posed.
The warmth and familiarity of an arcade has made all the buzz in this neighborhood of Tsutsujidai...even Seolla, who's been lurking and quiet the past few days whenever she takes a walk, has heard people chattering about it. There's been an ebbing and flowing brain fog effect from ongoing withdrawals, but that comes with powering through conditions that would leave a normal person barely able to talk.
She does have to follow others to actually -find- the place, and once she does, the bustle and noise of chattering and arcade machines makes her wince, and withdraw a step, in a sudden 'maybe not-' instinct...but recognizing that impulse makes her angrier, and anger blows through the fog like a torch. Huffing and pouting at nobody in particular, Seolla marches on in towards the corner, tying her raincoat around her waist, and gravitates immediately to CULT OF THE SAURUS, which is a game about shooting dinosaurs, and thus must be an absolute miracle to be unoccupied.
Headphones are equipped, blasting forceful heavy metal. Seolla picks up the bright blue gun for playing as Banko - sleek and aerodynamic and streamlined. The obvious Getter 2 But As A Plastic Light Gun...and soon she's going to town, totally zoning out and blasting away at countless dinosaurs!
<Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.
Arcades are not usually the sorts of places that Kaworu gravitates to. However, after coming here on a date with Gridman and Rei, he found it a rather charming place. More importantly, it exists to entertain and reduce the stress of the denizens of Tsutsujidai, and so it's a good idea to monitor the place--and thus also the emotional states of those who come here.
After today's various duties--and before several more--he takes some time to watch those playing from a corner of the room. At one point, Seolla marches on it and manages to snag Cult of the Saurus for the perhaps one minute in between players. Kaworu's regard focuses in on her. It's been some time since they spoke last...
He strolls on over to join her--not to play, even though there's a couple more guns to be shot, but simply to watch from a short distance behind her. She's doing quite well. How much stress is she getting to relieve right now?
<Pose Tracker> Sousuke Sagara has posed.
Sousuke Sagara appears.
He has a footprint on his face because one of the arcade monitors had to give him a flying jump kick to stop him from pulling his gun when he ran out of ammo in Freedom Fighter Gunboy W. He is temporarily banned from that one. ...and had to give up his main gun.
Nobody ever expects the ankle holster. Anyway, he appears. He regards Seolla, zoned the whole way in. He regards Kaworu.
He thinks of what Onodera would do.
Twelve seconds later, the booth declares A NEW PILOT!! and a blue cursor starts tracking a new entry.
Sousuke gives Seolla a completely neutral look, a nod, and then goes back to the game.
<Pose Tracker> Seolla Schweizer has posed.
The sound of a new player joining would normally interrupt the soundtrack to a halt - but all Seolla can hear is music that might blare to those standing nearby. Still, the flashing alert on screen does make Seolla jump and look to her left - there's Kaworu standing off to the side - then off to her right - there's Sousuke joining in. A long breath outwards...then, Seolla nudges the headphones free to rest over her shoulders, an added decoration to her current attire of choice - a black cropped T-shirt decorated with a neon-like depiction of Hiroshi Saiba transforming into Steel Jeeg, Earth's first great superhero.
"...Oy, Nagisa," Seolla puffs, glancing more at Kaworu than at the actual screen - not that this seems to stop her from relatively high accuracy on gunning down the current stage boss, Hell General Pterokaiser. "You may as well hop in instead of staring as us. Even if these games aren't really your thing, it doesn't hurt to come along for the ride. The two of us aren't really struggling on these stages."
An elbow then nudges to Sousuke's side as Pterokaiser begins roaring and charging something with a wide-open beak. "I know how it looks on this one, but shooting his mouth won't actually do anything. Weak point's still the underbelly. That got me the first time through, and I only noticed the glowy part down there too late."
<Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.
As long as Sousuke only almost destroyed one of the arcade machines, it's fine, in Kaworu's view. There are lots of things in life that turn out just fine if you only almost did something or another. So when Sousuke looks at him, he smiles back.
He'd be content to simply watch the two of them play, save that Seolla tells him to join in. "Oh? Well, if you don't mind," he says, and takes up the third and final gun. (A full set of Banko, Kamui, and Gozora, even.) Keeping one hand in his pocket, he aims the other at the screen and joins in on blasting away at Hell General Pterokaiser with high accuracy.
Really, is there anyone among the three who would miss a single shot?
For his part, he's still in his Tokyo-3 Municipal school clothes: a white dress shirt, a violet undershirt, black belted slacks, and light gray sneakers. He's a little damp, as if he hadn't bothered with an umbrella while out in the perpetual rain, and somewhat wrinkled, but otherwise clean.
"Does it feel strange to have the roles reversed like this?" he wonders conversationally. He does not explain what he means, and with his serene eyes locked on the screen, it's hard to tell who he's even talking to.
<Pose Tracker> Sousuke Sagara has posed.
Sousuke's as stone-faced as ever. He's just wearing the button-up shirt that is the lowest layer of the Jindai High uniform, with the sleeves rolled up because it may be raining constantly but that hasn't made it less warm. Which probably means it's also hideously muggy, besides.
The near-infinite water supply has made the guerilla in him more than satisfied with washing his own clothes, rather than requisition anything from stores, it seems.
Sousuke has, like the soldiers of old, done nothing but shoot the Pterokaiser in the mouth for three days. "Oh," he says, at Seolla's advice. "Oh, I see." Glowing weaknesses...in his experience, the parts that glow are where the enemy is strongest, actually. But Shinji taught him this lesson long ago, so it doesn't bother him much. "To expose one's weaknesses only with a deceptive display...a clever adversary," he says.
His eyes cut briefly to Kaworu. His hands firm on his weapon even then, of course. He doesn't quite understand the question, so perhaps it's more for Seolla.
<Pose Tracker> Seolla Schweizer has posed.
With the power of Friendship, Careful Timing, and Coordinating A Cool Special Attack Available Now That There Are Three Players (an incentive that was very effective in the original release for getting your friends to hurl tokens into this machine) - the Hell General tumbles with a squawking, screeching roar, collapsing into the lava pit below. It's A High Score! But the scoreboard seems awfully low, with only a few clearly actually human names put in the leaderboard, and the lowest ranks are all very unnaturally round numbers. Curious.
There's a moment's respite between stages - a somewhat sweaty Seolla pops the cap off a refurbished water thermos, a bit of cool water splashing over her face. Under her breath - an odd 'damn it' seems to be whispered at very little in particular - Kaworu can certainly feel a sense of some roiling, oil-like dissatisfaction spilling from her. Less an arrow at some target, and more a flood - at everything and yet nothing in particular.
"...Roles reversed...? ...No, I'm pretty used to working with a team. This is easier than doing it alone, after all. Focusing on something specific is easy, but having someone who can handle the parts I'm not focused on has saved me a lot. ...Are you two used to working alone or something?"
The countdown awaiting all players to confirm for the next stage - "Attack on King Mosaucer" - thumps dramatically from 60 - 59! 58! 57! 56! *dun dun dun* 55! 54! 53! and so on...
<Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.
When Sousuke glances at Kaworu, Kaworu only gives him a serene smile back. And, like Sousuke, this doesn't interfere with his aim or his shooting at all. It's normal for all of them. "Is it deceptive?" he does wonder, genuinely curious. If nothing else, he'd like to hear Sousuke's logic on the matter. Kaworu's really only passingly familiar with him.
Soon enough, though, the Hell General falls to their combined assault. For the moment, Kaworu sets down his plastic gun to tuck his hand into his other pocket, and glances over at Seolla as she douses herself and mutters a curse.
"Are you not satisfied with our performance?" he wonders. The feeling that seethes from her splashes all about... This side of her reminds him of Asuka somewhat. Still, when she answers in the specific rather than the general, Kaworu only hums thoughtfully and lets it go. There's a different conversation to follow now.
"I suppose I'm used to being alone in general," he muses. "Times like these are less common than not, for me. All the more reason to treasure them." He picks the gun back up as the countdown begins, and when Seolla and Sousuke are ready, shoots to indicate his own readiness as well.
<Pose Tracker> Sousuke Sagara has posed.
Sousuke says, focused keenly, "It's a simple tactic, but effective. By distracting one's opponent with an obvious display, one may proceed with other activities in full view with confidence. It's an essential tool for safely combating armored weaponry on foot." Bang bang bang - he doesn't like shooting outside the screen to reload, but he knows how by now, at least. "Simply charging a Savage with a rocket launcher will only get you immediately spotted and killed."
Conspicuously specific!
As the enemy falls, Sousuke holds his weapon up like an actual passive firearm - finger off the trigger, barrel toward the ceiling. He does look toward Seolla at her muttering, but he simply tips his head in acknowledgment of Kaworu's question rather than ask his own.
"Neither is a problem," Sousuke says. "Although, I prefer a team, when possible."
He thinks of Kurz and that damn smile of his for a moment, and then readies weapon and fires.
<Pose Tracker> Seolla Schweizer has posed.
There's a little bit of ceiling staring, as the clock runs down. The heavy, forceful beat of Seolla's headphones keeps running even in this tinny way, like a secondary heartbeat in a can.
"...No, no, I'm not about to get on your butts for a video game. All three of us are probably a bit too good for what this was designed for. ...though if anything, I kinda think the light gun can't really keep up. ...nn. I'm not doing a good job...winning this other fight I'm in. I thought I could pretend like I'm shooting it. But that really doesn't work."
Gunshots echoing through an advancing mudslide, like bullets will somehow hold it back - such is what emanates more outwardly to Kaworu than what Seolla herself is aware of. Hers is a heart that has much to say, yet seems almost deaf to its own voice.
"...Eeeh? Did someone actually try to shoot down an Arm Slave once?" Seolla boggles, eyebrow raised and gazing with a sideways crane of her neck at Sousuke - as she finally finishes her spacing out and pulls the trigger to move on - this stage one that tests all three different players' abilities, constantly hopping up from land, sea, and sky at an almost dizzying pace...but being -so- blatant about nerfing each individual one in their unfavored environment that it almost encourages not doing anything if it's not your 'turn' in the stage. "First thing I learned - no matter how much it pisses me off, I'm not gonna pick a fight with an enemy mobile weapon without my own. As soon as you see one, run away and find your own. Annoying how that works. I work so hard to keep in shape but there's so much I can't fight with my own hands. There's limits to how much a mobile suit can really feel like it's me."
<Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.
"Hmmm," Kaworu murmurs thoughtfully as Sousuke's explanation. It's not something he hasn't experienced before, but to apply that to a video game, meant for play--and, through play, learning practical application... "As you say, Lilim really are quite clever."
He doesn't remark on charging Savages on foot. That much is quite true.
He glances at Seolla when she gives her own explanation, smile fading into neutrality. It's as she says, too. "Other fight?" he echoes. He's aware of her standing orders from the School, but... Her feelings on it, at least, are quite clear.
He turns his attention back to the screen. It really is quite blatant, even without his particular abilities. He doesn't even try to shoot when it's not his turn, though when it is, he's already prepared to shoot once more. It's almost like he has a sixth sense for this.
"Would you prefer it if you were able to fight on foot more often?" he wonders to Seolla. "You and your 'siblings' have considerable physical prowess, but the inside of a cockpit is usually a safer place to be during a battle."
<Pose Tracker> Sousuke Sagara has posed.
Sousuke actually moves his eyes from the screen to answer this one, looking to Seolla's startled gaze. "I have done so many times," he says. "Of course, it is immensely dangerous without a mobile weapon of your own. Indeed, a weapon that can penetrate armor and kill the pilot without scuttling the machine is the optimal method, so that it may then be repurposed. But it can be done."
His eyes turn back to the screen, musing, "Of course, that's why most battlefield Arm Slaves are equipped with SDM, these days."
Someone with a mind for military history might spot this as *textbook* Helmajistani guerilla tactics.
"It's good advice," Sousuke says to Seolla, despite what he's just said. He takes a few shots, but even he can tell the difference in properties. But he watches the screen cautiously, eyes flicking about with, indeed, a pilot's intuition of the interface. "With modern battlefield assessment software, the M9 can discern an infantry-scale opponent at hundreds of meters from human-imperceptible amounts of information. You'd be relying on the pilot's ineptitude, at that point. Though, of course, if their mission includes the elimination of a facility, you would not live more than a few steps."
Real ray of sunshine, huh?
He fires one, two, three bright green blasts downrange. Other fight, she says. Kaworu questions it. Sousuke's eyes cut to her, too, curious. He knows, as well, he just...can't quite figure out what to do about it.
Perhaps, ultimately, it's why he's doing this. Some helpless attempt to express....anything.
<Pose Tracker> Seolla Schweizer has posed.
"Ugh, the worst part of trying to pull the cockpit piercing trick is that ejection block systems are -super- touchy these days," Seolla grouses. "And then you're just left in the cold for all your efforts. I guess it makes -sense- that KMFs are like that - they're designed to go up against where you're likely to actually have a hard time from guys with mortars, and they can't have the people they're trying to eliminate seizing their mobile weapons too easily. Makes me wonder how the hell Zero managed to bootstrap an entire damned terrorist army off of basically nabbing those anyway. ...at the end of the day, no, I can't say I -wish- I were on my feet more often, it just feels like...nn. Like I have to work three times as hard to do what I have to do..."
"And don't even get me started on pilot lock systems. I get it on the big expensive prototypes made for specific people, it's not like you can really swipe those easily anyway, but just last year I swear, an entire hangar of totally normal Jegans with pilot ID locks screwed me up -really- hard..."
...Kaworu probably has to endure this sort of overly-technical soldiery Stuff that perhaaaaaps leaves him out in the dust on this front - but if it's any consolation to him...that sense of muddiness spilling from Seolla slows down. At least here, it's distracted - Sousuke's someone to ... vent about these types of concerns that most normal people would balk at. It's stabilizing, at least, and Seolla can hold this conversation purely focusing on the screen.
It's not even too long before the ~battle with King Mosaucer~ commences - but with three people who may as well be on auto-aim, even a three stage fight against a colossal dinosaur king falters quickly - even when he unveils that the government gave him access to the nuclear launch codes! The real final battle is shooting down as many warheads as you can, each bomb inlaid with a title and developer, as a cute little touch.
<Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.
The problem isn't a lack of knowledge of technical details; Kaworu has a lot of familiarity with that. The problem is more that his familiarity with technical details is intuitive and largely based on the technology of the worlds of Evangelions. Similarly, any military history he has is focused on worlds where Helmajistani is of little overall importance, and his combat experience is mostly with large enemies. Kaworu has strong feelings against using Evangelions to fight Lilim targets.
Fortunately, he's content to listen to Sousuke and Seolla both, because regardless of what they talk about, their expertise and knowledge sheds fascinating insight into their hearts--what they've experienced, what they find important. And, most importantly, talking it through seems to loosen a valve in Seolla.
So while Kaworu may not engage much with the conversation itself, he does make occasional slight noises ("mhm," "oh?" and "hmmm" are common ones) to indicate that he's listening even as their respective gazes remain on the screen.
There is one topic on which he has more to say, and that's: "Zero is a fascinating figure, isn't he? He's won many seemingly hopeless battles with his tactical prowess, and he draws countless people in his wake with his charisma, but it's not that alone that empowers him. I'd be interested in talking to him one day, if possible."
<Pose Tracker> Sousuke Sagara has posed.
"Mmm," Sousuke says. "The ejection seat was the Britannian measure to suppress such tactics." His eyes never even budge from the screen. "It might have been a core element of the entire Knightmare Frame design scheme. Ejection is essentially impossible with the structure of an Arm Slave, hence the adoption of the SDM." That's Self-Destruct Mechanism, by the way.
He's calm - neutral, even. He has a very measured way to how he talks, a vast depth of knowledge. But, maybe that neutral look of his has turned up toward a smile, getting to simply talk shop. "Disabling the ejection mechanism is quite difficult...it would've required raiding a depot yard," Sousuke judges. "Or, perhaps securing arms deals. I believe that was the AEUG's approach. Though they were more of an armed political party than a guerilla insurrection."
Dip down, dip up, bang bang bang. The crown falls off. Tyranny is over forever. Except for missiles!!??
Sousuke's eyes bug out a little, but the calm of the conversation helps him from losing sense of what he's actually doing completely. "High-performance units are often customed to and by their pilot even on very minute levels. Still..." ... "It's no small nuisance, is it? It also makes the machine dependent on the software even to run the most basic operational modes. That can be dangerous on its own, under some conditions."
Sousuke Sagara: Man who is much happier when his ROBOT can't TALK TO HIM.
AL.
Bang bang bang bang. the producer is dead forever.
"A premier tactician is capable of producing remarkable battlefield feats. But the challenge is knowing if you have received orders from a miracle-worker or a fool."
<Pose Tracker> Seolla Schweizer has posed.
-"CONGRATULATIONS! YOU'VE KILLED THE DINOSAURS FOR GOOD!"- cries the game narrator, as the world at last knows peace - the three player characters all gathered in front of a sunset overlooking the rim of the Chixculub crater. Seolla holds onto her gun for a little while longer - and quickly shoots in an "SEO" for recording her rather high score. Maybe in some small way, she figures, she'll have her mark here.
...if it weren't for how in some way, this machine's malfunction matches her own, and by tomorrow her efforts will be a vanished idea...
"...aren't the rumors that this Zero guy and his lackeys are around here? Who knows whether he's a miracle man or just lucky...I've had a few brushes with the Knights, and they're way better than they should be. They're good at knowing when to fold them. I only know how to do that when they tell me to. ...if it gets bad, things usually go blank and I wind up fine somewhere."
The blue gun is sheathed, and Seolla takes a seat on the center console of the cabinet, gulping down water at an alarming rate - at least until it's clear that she's worked up a slightly implausible sweat from just this game too. "...nn. I'll have to. Cool down here. It's good that you two tagged in. It was...better this way." Still averse to 'thanking' people...it has to be purposeful still. "Can't believe even a game like this still...isn't enough. ...it isn't a problem for either of you though, so don't worry. I can only handle so much worry..."
<Pose Tracker> Kaworu Nagisa has posed.
Tyranny is over forever, until tomorrow comes and everything has started over again. Seolla's not the only one chained to a wearying cycle.
Kaworu shoots in his initials: K.N (with the dot in the center), then sets his gun back into the game machine's holster and steps away for the next person to play, tucking his hands into his pockets. Sousuke's comments get him a thoughtful look, but Kaworu doesn't remark. Instead, he looks at Seolla.
"I've heard those rumors too," he says, and doesn't weigh in whether they're true or false. Instead, his expression shifts into a melancholy sort of sympathy as she talks of things 'going blank.'
But he doesn't remark on that either, or on Seolla getting unusually sweaty from the game. Instead, he smiles at both his erstwhile companions. "Yes. Thank you both. I enjoyed myself." He steps over the Seolla, far enough away to respect her personal bubble and close enough to still carry on an easy conversation. "I've been watching over everyone for a while now, so I'll stay right here, if you don't mind."
Stay right here and keep her company. Sousuke's welcome to do the same, if Kaworu's smile to him is any indication. For now, though, perhaps it's time for a companionable silence--for all of them.
<Pose Tracker> Sousuke Sagara has posed.
"Hm. Truly fictional," Sousuke says, quietly. "To think usurping one ruler would silence an enemy." He almost slots the red controller away.
...but ultimately shoots his own SOU into the list, too. It might be fun if Shinji sees it in the list, later.
Holstering the lightgun, he says, "That is simply an essential skill for a guerilla force. Understanding that your limits are much, much lower than your enemy's. You must walk a precarious line between achieving your objectives, and the fact that you cannot allow the enemy to bring much at all of their power to bear on you."
He looks to Seolla. Eyes scanning her up and down, just momentarily, considering...the parallels between his advice, and her situation. He decides not to call attention to it. "Is that so," is what he says, and his eyes flick momentarily to Kaworu. They're not particularly in this together, but he gets a sense that Seolla's true objective here is not well concealed at this point.
He notes, "Losing consciousness in battle is immensely dangerous," very matter-of-factly. That's how he operates, much of the time. Simply identifying truths as he knows them, and explaining them as he sees them.
Still. She seems quite exhausted. He thinks of Liam, the other day - barely able to keep conscious because of undernourishment.
"It was enjoyable," he agrees, and there's actually a small smile on his face.
Don't worry, she says. He says, "Very well. I have business to attend to. But..."
Considers...but he can't stay quiet so easily. "Do notify the shelter leaders if you have unaddressed needs," is how he decides to put it. "It is better for everyone for you to remain healthy, rather than unnecessarily needing emergency interventions. That isn't charity." Heading off what has bothered her in the past. "It is simply ...acting responsibly."
So saying, he turns to go.
....toward the back, to get his gun.