2022-11-16: A Little Unhappy

• Cast: Mic Sounders the 13th, GBR-04 Volfogg
• Where: J-Ark
• Date: U.C. 0096 11 16
• Summary: After trying and failing to recruit Mamoru, Volfogg ALSO fails to rain on Mic's parade.

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<Pose Tracker> Mic Sounders the 13th has posed.

The fearsome, uncanny power of Triple Zero allows machines to self-repair and heal faster than any living thing. For as much of a beatdown as he took (and dished out) at the Folmo Mall, Mic Sounders the 13th quickly regenerated and recovered, dents vanishing and wires regrowing until he was like new. And orange.

But that didn't stop Stallion from giving him a nice big bandaid to wear on his cheek in Cosmo Robo mode.

Being somewhat smaller than his fellow Brave Corps in this form, he can sit right on the table and sip at an oilcan, his big feet hanging over the edge and kicking. He's singing a song to himself.

"Wha' bout my star, wha' bout my staaar, wha' bout my staar...o/"

<Pose Tracker> GBR-04 Volfogg has posed.

Alas, Triple Zero cannot repair the wounds in your HEART. Or mind. Or the like.

Despite of being on opposite ends of the presence spectrum, Volfogg has always been amiable with Mic, finding his company amusing and... mostly dependable on the battlefield. But poor, adorable Mic with his big bandaid is going to have his musical parade rained upon by the gloomy, purple stormcloud that stalks through.

"Please, Mic. No singing for today," Volfogg says.

<Pose Tracker> Mic Sounders the 13th has posed.

"Point, I don't caaaa-oh! Volfogg!"

Mic enjoys the company of Volfogg. To be fair, Mic enjoys the company of just about anybody, but Volfogg is so COOL and SMART and COMPETENT and COOL. and SMART. and COOL.

And a little unhappy?

Never a master of reading the room, even Mic can tell something is eating at Volfogg. "Hey, hey, you alright? I know it's kind of boring out here on the J-Ark-uhhh, don't tell J I said that, please! But we have plenty of oil here! And I bet HyoRyu and EnRyu would play a video game with us if you want. We should totally team up against them and win!"

Video games, yes. Very Volfoggian, Mic.

<Pose Tracker> GBR-04 Volfogg has posed.

Volfogg pauses in his assuredly purposeful stride, and turns to face Mic's emotive digital display. It's handy that they stand roughly optic-level.

The offer is charming. Of course it is. Volfogg's frown eases, ever-so-slightly. You'd need a microscope to spot the change. "Thank you, but I'd rather not." He hesitates for a moment, gaze tracking beyond Mic to study the J-Ark's interior. "...I was going to talk to Tomoro," he says, at length. And then, as if testing if Mic could indeed by The Listener instead, he adds, "I couldn't get Mamoru to come willingly. I don't understand."

<Pose Tracker> Mic Sounders the 13th has posed.

"Oh, Mamoru..." Mic frowns and sighs, drooping slightly. "I miss him too. He's really stubborn, though! A lot of people are. We actually fought when I attacked the Frontier mall!" His excitement is tempered, at least by Mic standards.

"At the time I thought it was cool, because Mamoru and Ikumi were doing their best even if they were doing it for the wrong side! And they were both piloting a robot this time!"

Pause.

"It was really ugly," he adds with a shrug.

<Pose Tracker> GBR-04 Volfogg has posed.

Volfogg mirrors that droop. He finds nothing exciting about fighting friends, even if they were being amazing and doing their best. For the moment, Volfogg just hangs there in complete silence, and it looks as if Mic has failed the test.

But Mic's opinion on robot aesthetics earns a small sound of amusement. Not a laugh. Volfogg has (probably) never laughed in his life. "They've changed, Mamoru and Ikumi. Biologically, as all organics tend to. Mamoru--" He pauses to indicate the height difference, measuring with his hands. "It only makes sense that he has grown in power." He folds his arms, less a stormcloud and more a drizzle. "What didn't you like about the unit?"

<Pose Tracker> Mic Sounders the 13th has posed.

Mic stares, his HUD displaying stars instead of eyes.

"Mamoru grew! Is he going to keep getting bigger? Will he be as tall as Mic someday!? Oh, well, I guess not, not if the mission succeeds. Because life can't keep growing, right?" He whines. "Grow faster, Mamoru!"

But he hasn't been distracted (much) from the point at hand. He puffs out his cheeks and pouts, crossing his stubby arms over his square-body chest. "It had weird feet. And napalm. And it was letting Mamoru and Ikumi fight against us! I wish there was a way we could just help them understand. You know, the way we suddenly understood."

<Pose Tracker> GBR-04 Volfogg has posed.

"The mission must succeed," Volfogg says, ever grim. "But. As I understand it, it's unlikely that he'll grow much taller from this point. I cannot say for certain. Mamoru's nature is... mysterious."

When Mic explains his distaste, Volfogg looks down at Mic's massive feet, then back to his display. "..."

"They're dangerous," Volfogg finally says, voice grave. "The sooner we can handle them, the sooner we'll be reunited. We cannot fail here, Mic. Each defeat we endure only extends the suffering. I wish there was a way, too. But we can't dwell and wait for a solution. We must use what we have." Perhaps lecturing is therapeutic, as Volfogg looks more determined than sad, at least.

<Pose Tracker> Mic Sounders the 13th has posed.

Volfogg's attempt at calling out Mic's hypocrisy on the nature of Robot Feet flies right over his head. Whee! Zoom!

At the very least, Mic seems pretty receptive to the lecturing. "That's right! And then we'll all be together! But in the meantime they're gonna be tough! Everyone out there was tough. There was a really big guy with like, huuuge arms." He holds his (not huge, not long) arms out to demonstrate. "And a bunch of speedy pilots. Fighting on my own is hard! Next time I'll back you and the others up with my music."

He's quiet for a moment.

"There'll be music too, right? When we fulfill the mission? Music won't go away when we save the universe?"

<Pose Tracker> GBR-04 Volfogg has posed.

"Your backup would be most welcome," Volfogg admits, somewhat irritably. "Even with allies it was a challenge. I was fortunate." He studies Mic for a careful moment. His AI block has got to be overheating from all of the annoying logic rerouting happening there. "I cannot say, Mic. Perhaps it will exist in a different state." He's just going to... tuck away that question and throw it at Tomoro, later.

"But it won't matter if we can't stand up to the threat. Finish your oil and let's brush up in the practice room," Volfogg... suggests. He's already walking off.

<Pose Tracker> Mic Sounders the 13th has posed.

Mic's AI logic block is doing fine! It's just a 24/7 Mic Shrugging Emoji whenever he comes across something he can't quite square.

"Oh! Like music of the spheres or something! Swan told Mic about that once!"

See? There it goes now.

He gulps down the rest of his oil, wipes his mouth off on his hand and jumps off of the table to follow Volfogg aboard his Baribarien. "Practice! I get to practice with my friends! YEAH!"

It's fine! When in doubt, think about something happy instead.