2024-11-01: The Novella of Stella's Suletta Vendetta
- Log: The Novella of Stella's Suletta Vendetta
- Cast: Suletta Mercury, Miorine Rembran, Stella Loussier, Elan Ceres
- Where: The Dueling Grounds, Asticassia
- Date: 2024-11-01
- Summary: Suletta duels Stella to restore Miorine's sense of safety, and finds that Stella has no safety of her own. Elan continues to observe the impossible feats of the Aerial, and Miorine has to watch as other people decide her fate.
<Pose Tracker> Suletta Mercury has posed.
Did you hear? Did you hear?
There's a duel over the greenhouse! A girl wants to see the tomatos!
See the tomahtoes?
Don't show me your toes! Show me the tomaytos!
To may? Tomoe?
Tomato!
But doesn't our country witch approve of that? Our bumpkin witch? Our out-of-the-way witch?
You'd be shocked! You'd be surprised! She cares about the tomato farmer!
Ehhhh? Doesn't a tomato farmer only care about tomatos?!
And a tomato watcher doesn't care about any of them, but they're in the way!
Victory in a Duel is won by the one who breaks the blade antenna of their opponent's mobile suit. It always begins like this...
"Suletta Mercury, LP041. Suletta Mercury, Aerial... launching!"
As the two suits erupt onto the rocky plains, a similar battle-site to the kind they'd use to evade explosives, they are called upon to recite the vow--
<Pose Tracker> Stella Loussier has posed.
Beep beep. Beep beep. Beep beep.
Ba-beep. "What is it?"
"Sorry to disturb you sir, but Stella Loussier has taken a Dilanza and appears to be participating in a duel."
"Well, it's a little outside her operating parameters, but I suppose it was inevitable. It shouldn't be too much of a problem, just monitor it closely."
"Uhh, sir... She's dueling Suletta Mercury."
"..." Neo Roanoke sighs, "I'm on my way."
-=-=-=-
The transport crate carriers the Dilanza up to the surface, releasing it into the dueling grounds. It's one of Jeturk's standard models commonly seen in the duels, the company sponsoring Stella must have bought one for her.
That said, its weapons have been customed somewhat. Gone is the usual beam rifle. Instead the Dilanza wields to huge shields in both its hands. And on the shoulder opposite the one with the shoulder-shield, is a folded up railgun.
In its cockpit, Stella Loussier stares at the screen showing her opponent in the distance. She barely knows Suletta. And she has no interest in being holder. But this girl is standing between her and the peaceful moments she desires. She will not back down.
The time comes for the oath. And perhaps surprisingly, Stella seems to understand her role here as she starts, <"Victory is never decided by mobile suit performance alone.">
<Pose Tracker> Suletta Mercury has posed.
"Nor by the skill of the pilot, alone!" Suletta volunteers, from her position as the Holder. And then, in unison: "The result itself is the only truth!"
Aerial jets through the air, her long-barrel rifle held almost delicately in her hands, until she comes to hang in the sky. She belongs here; it's right in the name. And Suletta...
... well, Suletta's the Holder. This is where she has to stand, too.
<Pose Tracker> Elan Ceres has posed.
It does always begin like this. Nonetheless, the so-called Ice Prince is interested--enough to volunteer to arbitrate this duel, as opposed to simply waiting his turn as he usually does. It was like this when Suletta Mercury dueled Guel Jeturk for the second time, too. This time, though, Suletta is defending her title as Holder. Elan can't imagine that Stella has any interest in that title, but she'll claim it all the same if she wins. The title, the tomatoes, the tomato farmer, and all... and only a fragment of all that means anything to her.
There's a bit of irony in there, but only a little. Elan can relate. But not enough to want her to win, because there's someone here he relates to more.
As Suletta launches in Aerial and Stella launches in a Dilanza, he watches from the Dueling Committee lounge with his pretty face typically impassive and untypically attentive, an entire wall taken up by the Haro video feed. The dueling ground is set to approximate rocky plains. The Duelists speak their Oath.
"Fix release," he intones softly. The Duel, already authorized and now officially recognized, can begin.
<Pose Tracker> Miorine Rembran has posed.
She's heard. The rumors are everywhere. The entire school derides her for this farming project, worthy of peasants, not the Benerit Princess.
Not Suletta though. The moment it was threatened, she put it all on the line. That... that idiot didn't realize Miorine's future was part of it...
... that's what happened right? She forgot, she didn't realize. It can't be that she's just so confident that...
... that girl?
Miorine runs her hand through her hair in frustration. "I'm not going. There's absolutely no way... I'm going." She promises to herself, as her fingertip hovered over the contact information for that woman.
Obviously she had an agenda, and she owed her already - she'd owe her more.
But hadn't she stayed here for too long already?
Isn't contacting her choosing one - safety and security?
An azure glow rippled over the other side of her room that rippled, and after a time, she put the phone down, slowly padding over bare foot to the stairs... as she sullenly crouched, her eyes towards an empty space where a girl once sat, doing her homework until the late hours.
The only person who'd ever been in this room.
"I didn't ask you to take this one too."
Bitterly the words came out, at the memory.
"So why?"
-=-=-
There's no sign of Miorine in the hangar, like every other duel before. No sign that she's here, no show of support - just an empty space...
... that is until the duel begins, the moment Elan states 'Fix Release'...
"<Suletta!>" Her image just pops up in the cockpit, of Miorine in her uniform, and it's perhaps unclear where she's watching from.
The tension however recedes a moment later. "<You challenged her only because you knew you'd win right? So, I'll let this one go. But next time, you ask me first!>"
And she holds up a finger, "<Even if you think it's your responsibility as my groom, I won't go easy on you if you don't!>"
Her responsibility...? She must mean to protect her.
Miorine turns up her nose, and...
"<Doesn't anyone ever clean around here? You're taking care of that later!>"
Where is she!? What does that even mean!?
<Pose Tracker> Suletta Mercury has posed.
The craggy, bleak cliffs of this battle-site provide plenty of cover -- and the sand-traps provide plenty of pitfalls to throw one's opponent into. The Duel is, of course, televised for all the students of Asticassia to enjoy... and hopefully no one wanders into the dueling arena. The artificial sun above is set to high noon; all that's missing is a tumbling weed.
"I'll make sure Ms. Miorine can feel safe in her greenhouse," Suletta swears, as Aerial soars out into the desertified environs. "I don't know why you scared her so much, Ms. Stella... but I can stop you! Everyone, let's go!"
The Aerial's Bit-Staves break off from their rifle, and circle around Suletta, firing glancing blows across the battlefield. None of them are particularly dangerous in their targeting -- none blasting for that antenna on the Dilanza -- but Stella may find herself being guided onto a particular cliff by the firing beams. As she fires, she blinks, looking at Miorine on her screens. "O--of course, Ms. Miorine! I'll be sure to ask you first!" She assures her bride, flustering with her nerves. Is -- is Miorine supporting her, or criticising her?! She can't even tell! What's clear is -- "A-and I'll clean it all up, as soon as I win, I promise!!"
... she's in trouble for something being messy, wherever Miorine is.
KTS: Suletta Mercury targets Stella Loussier with The Sphere of Venus ~ GUND-BIT Unseen Trap!
KTS: Stella Loussier engages block against Suletta Mercury's The Sphere of Venus ~ GUND-BIT Unseen Trap!
KTS: Critical Hit! Stella Loussier poorly blocks Suletta Mercury's The Sphere of Venus ~ GUND-BIT Unseen Trap, taking 3800 damage!
KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Suletta Mercury's The Witch from Mercury activates, causing Sparkle!
<Pose Tracker> Stella Loussier has posed.
<"The result itself is the only truth.">
Stella finishes the oath in unison with Suletta. It seems stupid to her. But she has to do this properly if she's going to win.
Not for pride.
Not for wealth. Power. Status.
Not for another.
But for the tomatoes!
The moment the duel starts, Stella's Dilanza slams both its held shields into the ground and crouches behind them. Perhaps unexpectedly for Suletta, Stella does not try to run off. Instead she bunkers up behind her protection, the beams shots from Aerial's bits splashing across the anti-beam coated shields and partially scorching them. They hold up under the barrage... For now.
Stella narrows her eyes, the sight of the flying Aerial visible through the slots between the shields on her screen. She replies back, <"Why do you even care? They're not your tomatoes."> Suletta flicks up a switch on her controls, the targeting reticule appearing on her screen. She maneuvers it over the approaching Aerial, even as the beams blast against her shields. And pulls the trigger.
The Dilanza's shoulder mounted railgun unfolds and swings down to aim over the shields. After a few moments of aiming it fires, sending a single high-speed projectile blasting across the space between the two units.
KTS: Stella Loussier targets Suletta Mercury with Shoulder Railgun Rifle Aimed Shot!
KTS: Stella Loussier has completed their actions for the round.
KTS: Suletta Mercury has activated the Alert Spirit Command.
KTS: Suletta Mercury engages guard against Stella Loussier's Shoulder Railgun Rifle Aimed Shot!
KTS: Suletta Mercury moderately guards Stella Loussier's Shoulder Railgun Rifle Aimed Shot, taking 5100 damage!
<Pose Tracker> Elan Ceres has posed.
It's strange to Elan that Stella could have done something to frighten Miorine Rembran--but then, Stella is a strange person. Access to tomatoes is far from the most absurd thing anyone at Asticassia has dueled for, but whatever Stella's reason for wanting it, Miorine is infamous for being extremely protective of them. Even if she apparently disapproved of this duel, perhaps this was inevitable.
Suletta is the kind of person who would protect something someone else loves to the end, after all. Stella may not understand that about her, but Elan does. That's why he...
...
His yellow-green eyes flick towards Aerial's Bit-Staves as they break off and activate. Not a strong opener. Is Suletta being cautious, or does she not think that Stella will be much of an opponent?
...And who is the 'everyone' she's addressing? He already knows she talks about and to Aerial as her precious family member who's been by her side for years; is she also talking to Miorine? That doesn't feel right, but he doesn't know who else it could be.
Regardless, he remains silent as Stella shores up her Dilanza's defenses, then answers with railgun fire. His primary interest is Suletta, but getting a better idea of who Stella is through how she fights may also be enlightening.
<Pose Tracker> Miorine Rembran has posed.
Miorine was scared? The diminutive girl doesn't seem scared of anybody, or anything. Suletta hides behind her in haunted houses.
But something gave her that impression all the same, and Miorine doesn't address that, even if it irritates her.
"<So long as that's clear!>"
Is the first thing she does address, before with her insistence that she will, Miorine replies, "<Good... honestly, even the mulch I use doesn't smell half as bad as this.>"
'Why do you even care? They're not your tomatoes?'
Miorine doesn't say anything to that. That's for Suletta to answer, not her, and perhaps she's interested in the answer.
"<There's something off about this girl...>" Miorine says softly, and it's unclear what she means, her freakish strength... her tendency to stare off into the distance.
At one point she accused her of being Shaddiq's spy but...
... perhaps the idea that something's 'off', will make Suletta more wary enough on it's own.
KTS: Miorine Rembran targets Suletta Mercury with Warn L2!
KTS: Miorine Rembran has completed their actions for the round.
KTS: Suletta Mercury accepts Miorine Rembran's Warn L2!
KTS: Miorine Rembran warns Suletta Mercury, making her next attacks more accurate!
KTS: Best Defense! Suletta Mercury successfully reacts to Miorine Rembran's Warn L2, taking 0 damage!
<Pose Tracker> Suletta Mercury has posed.
For Miorine's tomatos...!
"I'm sorry," Suletta offers, to Miorine, because clearly she's made a mess of something. She can't quite remember what, but why would Miorine be chastising her if it wasn't her fault?
Elan's intuition about Suletta's opening is a valid question -- but really, she's testing Stella. Poking and prodding, to see what strengths this custom Dilanza brings to the table, and --
She brings her shield up to absorb the blow of the railgun, but the Aerial skids back into the sand, wearing deep grooves through the parched, cracked earth. (A remarkable facsimile.) "It's because they're important to Ms. Miorine!" Suletta replies, with surprising fierceness. "That's her special place, so I'll defend it!"
But Miorine says there's something about Stella, and Suletta frowns, as she tries to figure it out. "Something..." She starts, and trails off, as the Aerial pulls around and leaps into the air again.
"To me!" She calls, as the Bit-Staves collect back around her rifle again. She takes a breath, and asks Stella, as she looks down the sights -- or the targeting path which her HUD offers her, anyway -- "Don't you have a place like that, Ms. Stella? Somewhere important to you, where you can relax?"
And she fires, the powerful -- for the muted settings they use, anyway -- beam shot rocketing towards the Dilanza.
KTS: Suletta Mercury targets Stella Loussier with The Sphere of Mars ~ Long-Barrel Beam Rifle Intuitive Aim!
KTS: Suletta Mercury has completed their actions for the round.
KTS: Stella Loussier has activated the Alert Spirit Command.
KTS: Stella Loussier fails to engage Charge against Suletta Mercury's The Sphere of Mars ~ Long-Barrel Beam Rifle Intuitive Aim!
KTS: Critical Hit! Stella Loussier poorly reacts to Suletta Mercury's The Sphere of Mars ~ Long-Barrel Beam Rifle Intuitive Aim, taking 6490 damage!
KTS: [Dynamic Hit] Suletta Mercury's The Witch from Mercury activates, causing Sparkle!
KTS: Suletta Mercury rattles Stella Loussier, making her next maneuvers more difficult.
<Pose Tracker> Stella Loussier has posed.
<"Why put yourself in danger for her? Miorine Rembran is obnoxious. And mean. And weak. She doesn't help you. She doesn't pat you on the head. She shouldn't be important to you.">
The larger beam shot lances out towards the hunkered Dilanza. It hits along the edge of one of the shields, which absorbs that part of the beam. But the rest passes over it, blasting across the unit's left shoulder and partially slagging it.
After the attack passes, the Dilanza seems to take the opportunity to rise again. Large thrusters start to push it forward as rushes down a ridge and starts rapidly closing the gap to the Aerial.
As she's charging, Stella answers back to Suletta's enquiry, some fear in her voice, <"Stella only remembers... Places that hurt her. Or places that are destroyed... Or places that are cold. Sterile. Dark..."> Perhaps that's why she clings to what few things that make her feel safe.
The Dilanza's railgun aims again, this time sending several shots firing. But not towards Aerial itself. They're aimed at the bits, Stella recognizing them as a threat and trying to keep them occupied at least as she closes the distance.
KTS: Stella Loussier has activated the Dash Spirit Command and has gained proficiency bonus.
KTS: Stella Loussier has activated the Accel Spirit Command and and has gained Terrain bonus!
KTS: Stella Loussier targets Suletta Mercury with Shoulder Railgun Rifle System-Targeting Shot!
KTS: Stella Loussier has completed their actions for the round.
KTS: Suletta Mercury engages evade against Stella Loussier's Shoulder Railgun Rifle System-Targeting Shot!
KTS: Best Defense! Suletta Mercury moderately reacts to Stella Loussier's Shoulder Railgun Rifle System-Targeting Shot, taking 0 damage!
<Pose Tracker> Elan Ceres has posed.
There is something about Stella. And at the same time, Stella is right about Miorine. Elan knows that won't affect Suletta any, but he does privately agree with her.
Still, he continues to watch in silence as the two of them exchange blows as well as words. Is there somewhere important to Stella out there?
It doesn't surprise Elan to hear a negative.
<Pose Tracker> Miorine Rembran has posed.
A place important to her, where she can relax.
"Stupid."
It is stupid in her mind, that someone would fight for such a thing, when it's her future that's on the line. Maybe the place is important to her... but...
'Miorine Rembran is obnoxious. And mean. And weak. She doesn't help you. She doesn't pat you on the head. She shouldn't be important to you.'
Miorine grinds her teeth, but doesn't say anything. Instead...
Looking at the other occupant of the same room.
"You better not mess this up."
She's not talking to Suletta certainly, as she puts her student handbook on a stand, making some adjustments.
"You wanna see mean?"
What is she doing????
<Pose Tracker> Suletta Mercury has posed.
"Because... because I promised!" Suletta insists, grasping her controls. "Because Ms. Miorine was in trouble, and I wanted to help! Because what's happening is wrong! It's... it's true she's strict, and sometimes she says things which make me feel bad..." She deflates, slightly, as she grapples with the sheer enormity of what she's just said, before she firms up again. Elan was right, apparently: the realisation doesn't affect her, because she just argues herself right out of it. "... but Ms. Miorine is here cheering me on, even though I did this without asking!"
Is she really 'cheering her on' if she's criticising her so much? Demanding she not mess this up? Calling her dedication to a place Miorine can be herself stupid?
Well, Suletta's a sunny girl. She can excuse so much, with something resembling kindness.
The Dilanza closes the gap, and Suletta gasps, sharply, when Aerial floods her screen with exclamation marks of warning. "Be careful!" She cries, to her Bit-Staves -- as if they weren't just tools she was using -- and they respond to her concern, each one weaving through the firing shots to avoid being shot down. They almost seem to be working together to save each other -- one Bit-Stave over-extending to cover another, inviting a beam to come its way, before it drops from the air several metres at the last second to escape.
As if they can all rely on each other.
And who could Stella rely on?
Suletta pulls out her beam saber just in time to meet Stella in her charge, slashing it in a defensive motion to protect Aerial's body. "But -- that's awful!" She cries, full-throated. "Ms. Stella, if you wanted a safe place... why couldn't you just ask? You didn't need to take it! Let's find a place that's warm together, okay?!"
KTS: Suletta Mercury targets Stella Loussier with Standard Beam Saber Strike!
KTS: Suletta Mercury has completed their actions for the round.
KTS: Stella Loussier has activated the Alert Spirit Command.
KTS: Stella Loussier engages evade against Suletta Mercury's Standard Beam Saber Strike!
KTS: Best Defense! Stella Loussier successfully reacts to Suletta Mercury's Standard Beam Saber Strike, taking 0 damage!
<Pose Tracker> Miorine Rembran has posed.
Miorine actually double takes at Suletta's declaration, before her eyes lid fully, and she takes a breath, it's... different from back then, when Shaddiq wouldn't protect her because it was politiecally inconvenient.
Suletta wants to, because that's just how she is, and who she is.
"You're so irritating sometimes."
Miorine smiles momentarily, despite herself.
Suletta however offers her a safe place - a place that's warm together. That may be her offer.
But not so that of her bride.
Over the comms in Stella's MS, comes Miorine's voice, "<Hey girl, your teammate wanted to say a few words.>"
Is it Sting?
Auel?
Neo!?
Abruptly the face of a horrific visage comes on Stella's MS screen, white of fur, and long of snout, with shaggy fur and puts out the loudest-
"<MAAAAAHAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!>"
The monster is named Tiko.
"<Seeing as she helped you burglarize my greenhouse, thought it was only fair to let her support you.>"
Miorine turns the comms volume up and sticks the carrot out again, out of view of the camera.
"<MAAAAAHAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!>"
Despite her annoyance over Stella's accusations of being obnoxious and mean.... she never actually refuted a single one now, did she?
KTS: Miorine Rembran targets Stella Loussier with Jam L2!
KTS: Miorine Rembran has completed their actions for the round.
KTS: Miorine Rembran has activated the Daunt Spirit Command targeting Stella Loussier
KTS: Stella Loussier accepts Miorine Rembran's Jam L2!
KTS: Best Defense! Stella Loussier successfully reacts to Miorine Rembran's Jam L2, taking 0 damage!
<Pose Tracker> Stella Loussier has posed.
<"You're an idiot.">
Of course, Stella is hardly one to talk. Not that she knows it.
Stella's shots may not actually land on the bits, which are acting rather oddly for remote weapons. But they are at least distracted enough while Stella gets in close. Sulleta tries to ward her off with a swing from a beam saber, but in Stella's hands the Dilanza reacts surprisingly quickly. A brief thruster burst backwards to avoid the initial swing.
<"Stella has to fight for herself! It's the only way she can be safe."> It's what she's been told, over and over. She has to fight, or she'll...
The Dilanza spins around, raising the large shield in its right hand and bringing it around for a heavy slam towards the Aerial's side...
Just as the amplified cry of a goat echoes through the cockpit, throwing off Stella's focus as she winces at the painful sound going through her head.
KTS: Stella Loussier targets Suletta Mercury with Dual Anti-Beam Combat Shields Punch!
KTS: Stella Loussier has completed their actions for the round.
KTS: Suletta Mercury engages parry against Stella Loussier's Dual Anti-Beam Combat Shields Punch!
KTS: Best Defense! Suletta Mercury successfully reacts to Stella Loussier's Dual Anti-Beam Combat Shields Punch, taking 2000 damage!
<Pose Tracker> Elan Ceres has posed.
The dance of Aerial's Bit-Staves draws Elan's attention anew. They have a singular grace, weaving around and in front of and above and below each other. They're parts of Aerial, so it makes sense that Suletta would be concerned for them, but... there's something else. Something he can't put his finger on.
Watching them, though, he's certain all over again: Suletta must be a Witch. There's no way she could control something this complex this easily if she weren't. All he needs is concrete proof... and as long as he hasn't received those orders, he can leave it--and her--be. (And so Elan argues himself out of it in turn.)
The load screaming of a goat tears him from those thoughts. He blinks once, focusing on the transmissions, which means he hears Stella's response. While he might have agreed with her earlier, this time he's in doubt. To fight so she can be safe... He finds it hard to believe that someone like her would be allowed to fight to stay safe.
But he doesn't weigh in. He only continues to observe, as ordained by the Dueling Committee.
<Pose Tracker> Suletta Mercury has posed.
"Sorry," Suletta says, to Miorine, with a rueful smile. "I know I'm a lot..."
She's always so irritating, isn't she?
The bride is more ruthless than her groom, so Suletta still winces, when Stella declares that idiocy. She's able to evade her swing, but Suletta can't evade her words as easily.
"That's not true!" Suletta insists. "If you move forward, you gain two -- but if you retreat, you still gain one! You still gain safety! What's the other thing you're receiving if you move forward, Ms. Stella?!"
Shield to shield, Suletta raises her escutcheon to match the blow of that shield, ringing almost as loud as the bleating of their greatest soldier, Tiko. Suletta is spared Tiko's wrath, though, which means that she's able to use the blow-back of that strike to get some more distance from the Dilanza.
"Everyone!" She calls, as the Bit-Staves collect behind her again. "We're all okay?! All right--!!"
The Bit-Staves fan out, weaving around the Dilanza in a dizzying pattern. "I'm fighting for Ms. Miorine!" Suletta declares, as they move into position. "I never thought I'd be a fighter... but if I'm fighting for someone else, I can do it! I will do it! Then, I'll gain Ms. Miorine's forgiveness, and I'll gain safety for her in her special place, too! Those are the things I'll gain if I keep fighting, so...!"
The Bit-Staves glow, as they charge their beams.
"FIRE!"
And the Dilanza will find itself bathed in a sea of energy, firing from so many different angles. Could only a Witch control them so precisely..?
KTS: Suletta Mercury has activated the Dash Spirit Command and has gained proficiency bonus.
KTS: Suletta Mercury has activated the Alert Spirit Command.
KTS: Suletta Mercury has activated the Trick Spirit Command.
KTS: Suletta Mercury has activated the Trick Spirit Command.
KTS: Suletta Mercury targets Stella Loussier with The Sphere of Mercury ~ GUND-BIT Barrage!
KTS: Suletta Mercury has completed their actions for the round.
KTS: Stella Loussier has activated the Dash Spirit Command and has gained proficiency bonus.
KTS: Stella Loussier fails to engage evade against Suletta Mercury's The Sphere of Mercury ~ GUND-BIT Barrage!
KTS: Best Defense! Stella Loussier successfully reacts to Suletta Mercury's The Sphere of Mercury ~ GUND-BIT Barrage, taking 4992 damage!
KTS: Suletta Mercury rattles Stella Loussier, making her next maneuvers more difficult.
<Pose Tracker> Miorine Rembran has posed.
"<So long as you understand what a hassle you are...>"
Miorine tells Suletta in a tone that's just as irritated.
"<You throw yourself into fights like these to be safe?>"
Miorine asks over the comms, of Stella after Suletta stops speaking, and perhaps - she rephrases Suletta's core thesis there in a different way, "<You're sitting on top of a state of the art microfusion nuclear reactor. Even with the limiters on and the Front Company on standby with launchers to stop a reaction, a single stray shot is all it takes.>"
What is she saying?
"<By choosing to fight, you're choosing to never be safe. Every duel is putting your life on the line.>"
Still she never stumbles onto it, the one word that would cause disaster for Stella.
But in saying so, she also articulates why it bothers her that Suletta would challenge Stella for this. Why it disturbs her so much.
Because it's putting her future on the line, but that doesn't mean Suletta is risking nothing either.
"<Even my idiot Groom knows that one.>"
KTS: Miorine Rembran targets Stella Loussier with Demoralize!
KTS: Miorine Rembran has completed their actions for the round.
KTS: Miorine Rembran has activated the Daunt Spirit Command targeting Stella Loussier
<Pose Tracker> Stella Loussier has posed.
<"Stella doesn't want to retreat! Losing is... Losing is..."> Losing is death. Well, perhaps not all the time. But certainly most of it. <"Stella has to fight! Because if she doesn't, then the bad things will..."> She can't lose. She just can't. Especially not to this stupid girl!
Stella tries to block the comm with the annoying goat scream looping through her speakers, but it seems to have been forced open. She whips out a keyboard with one hand, starting to type rapidly while her other continues to move her Dilanza around on the defense.
If only a witch could control those bits that way, then what does that make Stella? As her Dilanza rapidly spins and darts around, weaving its way in and out of the barrage of shots. Some do occasionally glances across armor, melting scorch marks into it. But for the most part she's just barely keeping ahead of the rapid assault.
"Stella."
Stella's eyes go wide and she smiles at the sight of the man popping up on her screen. She says happily, "Neo!"
Neo Roanoke calmly says, "Stella... I need you to do me a favour..." Stella tilts her head in curiosity. Neo finishes, "I need you to lose the duel."
Stella blinks in confusion, uncertainty welling up within her, "B-But..."
Neo continues, "I asked you to avoid that pilot and machine. Yet here you are... I'm disappointed."
Stella clutches at her controls a little... She's done something she shouldn't have... She recalls when that's happened in the past and people would get angry at her... Shout at her for it. But Neo isn't shouting, isn't angry. He's disappointed... And for some reason the makes it worse.
Stella shrinks in her cockpit chair a little. She doesn't want to lose... But even more than that, she doesn't want to disappoint Neo. Not any more than she already has. So she finally says, "Okay..."
The Dilanza is still dashing and darting its way around the glancing beam shots from the barraging bits. Until finally, one of the bits gets a solid shot, burning through the Dilanza's antenna and causing the machine to stop.
... Or did the Dilanza stop, causing the bit to get a solid hit? With the timing, it's hard to say.
The dueling system registers the defeat, announcing an end to the duel with Suletta's victory.
In the Dilanza's cockpit, Stella curls up in her seat, hugging her legs to her chest. She stares at the Aerial on her screen. She could have won. She could have! But she ended up doing something she wasn't supposed to... And because of that, Neo is disappointed in her.
And it's all that girl's fault!
Stella clenches her fists as she stares at the Aerial, murmuring to herself with a venomous tone, "Suletta... Mercury!"
KTS: Stella Loussier's MD-0031UL Dilanza Sol has been disabled.
<Pose Tracker> Elan Ceres has posed.
Yes. Only a Witch could control them so precisely, surely.
And if not a Witch, then a Witch's familiar... a creature under her control.
But Elan has already drawn his conclusions on that matter. Confirming it right now would lead to nothing good, so he's content to leave it be. Instead, he finds himself agreeing with Miorine this time, an unpleasant experience in general. To fight means to never be safe.
(Does safety exist at all in this day and age? Elan doesn't know. One could argue that the ability to fight at least gives one agency, but that's never been his experience.)
However... Stella's Dilanza slows. To the normal person's eye, it seems like it's still speeding around the battlefield, but to Elan... His eyes narrow slightly. However, the result is the only truth. The dueling system automatically registers the win and the loss and updates both Suletta and Stella's duelist records accordingly.
It's hardly necessary, but even so, Elan calmly announces, "The winner is Suletta Mercury."
He takes his phone out and sends a quick message.
An instant later, a message appears on Suletta's phone: Congratulations on another victory.
<Pose Tracker> Suletta Mercury has posed.
She is a hassle, isn't she? But Miorine puts up with her, anyway. And...
Miorine can see why it's concerning, too.
(Her life... is on the line, isn't it? That must be true, but... Suletta's never felt unsafe, inside Aerial. Aerial... has always protected her.)
"If you're fighting just to avoid bad things, aren't you really just running away?!" Suletta cries, trying, in her way, to get through to her. But the way she can use to deliver that concern is through her Bit-Staves, and --
"What's wrong?" Suletta asks, as she sees the hesitation in the Dilanza. "If you -- ah!" She gasps, as one of her own Bit-Staves burns through the Dilanza's antenna.
If she hesitates like that, she'll lose... is something like what she might have said.
She looks at her phone, as the congratulations come in, and her smile warms her face as she sees Elan's number amongst them. "Thank you," she says, softly, to herself. Elan was watching them... she's glad for that. Even if the things Stella says unsettle her, knowing Elan is there... it's reassuring. He's there for her.
(She doesn't know nearly how much danger she's in, with every observation he makes.)
Suletta brings the Aerial down, and opens her cockpit near to the Dilanza, taking Aerial's help to lower her down to the ground. She walks the rest of the way to the Dilanza, calling up to it as herself, not her suit: "Ms. Stella...? Ms. Stella, thank you for a good duel. A--are you...?" Are you okay?
<Pose Tracker> Miorine Rembran has posed.
Tiko finally gets her carrot.
She chews on it happily. Does she feel bad about Stella's frantic and desperate speech?
Not really. "Serves you right."
Still, she lowers her head, and takes a breath as the Blade Antenna gets cut off. "Heh."
It feels strange to let someone protect her, and not just her, but the things she cares about.
It's... different, but maybe not a bad different, not in every way.
What do people say when someone does something for your sake?
'Thank you.'
That isn't what she says at all, but that doesn't mean there's not gratitude.
"... Maybe it wasn't a mistake."
To invite... her in... to a place she cares about. Even if Suletta doesn't understand it.
She understands Miorine cares about it, and that... makes Miorine feel unusually charitable right now.
(Because she won, it's because she won. She would not be happy with the alternate outcome.)
"Good work... my groom."
None of that is heard by Suletta though because...
...
"What is she doing?"
Miorine watches her approach the Dilanza over the stream.
<Pose Tracker> Stella Loussier has posed.
There's no response to Suletta's question as she has exited from her machine. But finally the Dilanza's cockpit opens and Stella rides the boarding line down to the ground. She jumps down the last few metres before standing and scowling in Suletta's direction.
Stella doesn't say anything, but that look she is giving might be a little unnerving. It seems like Stella might want to say something.
Or worse, do something.
But Stella remains both silent and still, simply staring for several moments. Then she turns around and starts walking off without a word.
<Pose Tracker> Suletta Mercury has posed.
"Ms. Stella!" Suletta calls out, when Stella finally emerges and takes her boarding-line down. She stretches her hand out, sportsmanlike. But that terrible scowl --
Suletta takes a step backwards, her face falling, even as her hand is stretched out to shake hers. "M-Ms. Stella...?"
When Chu-Chu hits her, she doesn't really have warning -- but she feels a terrible sense of warning, here. Would Stella really... react like that, when she just wanted to meet her on equal ground...?
"I-- I-I-- I--" She stammers, as she watches her go, her hand lowering, until it comes to clasp at her chest.
"Oh..."
... at least Miorine will be happy with her...