Welcome to Avalon

[Kathara_Khan]

Ouch. I remember that school, best described as "can't hit the broad side of a barn from inside one!" Usually with more profanity.

Except of course when they go berserk (on their own because of morale, or are driven so by psi attacks) - then they headshot all their squad mates with perfect accuracy!

At least she didn't swing back. Props for that.

She's really trying to change. But let's just hope she doesn't go too far in the other direction...

Of course that's the most important thing, we love the (myriad of) references, the action and the Infinity setting and all that, but we keep coming back because of the characters

Which makes it the more painful that I need to abridge all the dialog and don't let them truly shine anymore...
At least I try to leave the best lines.

[Section9]

update?

[Errhile]

Not anytime soon, I'm afraid.

[Kathara_Khan]

Do not worry, though.
That is not dead which can eternal lie.

[Section9]

Update?

I'm dying for a fix, here!

[Kathara_Khan]

Truth is, while I definitely want to continue the story, I seriously got out of the grove.

Now that our Star Wars campaign has finally ended, I hope to be able to properly get
back to Girls and TAGs, but it will take some doing. I think I need to re-read the whole
thing from the beginning myself, at the very least, and there are currently a myriad
distractions occupying my time...

I am hoping to have a new episode out before the year ends, but it may well be closer
to December than now.

[Section9]

oof.

Well, the setting is too cool to not continue, so please take this as signs of continued interest!

[Kathara_Khan]

So, to keep us company on the slow, grueling way to the next episode,
here's a little detail for all of the, oh, two people beside me who'll care...

Ever wondered what Morgan's fabled singing voice sounds like?
Wonder no more!
Still not a perfect likeness, but that's the closest in real life I ever found to how she sounds in my head...

[Errhile]

I hope you do count me in?

I can't wait to see the next part of it. And especially having the girls go off-planet. I guess most of them have been to other worlds, but at least Bakunin is going to be pretty a culture shock

[Kathara_Khan]

Okay, make that three people.

And I'm quite excited for the away matches, especially Bakunin...
But they're just so far off, especially Bakunin...

[Kathara_Khan]

So, you all might be interested to know that we actually managed to play the next episode!
Not my best performance, I've definitely gotten rusty, but it went well enough, I think.
Now, of course, how long it'll take me to turn it into a report for you is hard to say...

In the meantime, have a teaser:
Alex' suspension finally ends, and upon her return, she's adamant that Samantha, as the first
non-founding member of the team, should undergo an initiation...

[Errhile]

Yeah, and you can guess what kind of "fun trick" does she pull on Samantha.
Open season, really...

[Section9]

Gah! You teases!

As for what I think Alex is going to to do Sam... probably painful, so I'm going to predict a power-wedgie of doom. Perhaps all the way up the flagpole?

[Errhile]

Avalon Chronicles
entry #22

“Initiations”


Note #1 - A complete list of all the characters appearing in the Avalon Chronicles is available under the link. Beware of spoilers, though, especially if you’re coming in to the series late!
Note #2 - We have official character art for the series, collected for your viewing convenience on the GM’s DeviantART Page.


Sunday, January 12

The staff team travel to the playing field by Monster - the girls won’t mind. It’s a bit of a tighter squeeze in the cabin, with eight grownups and a robot, but they manage.

As expected, DeeDee in her drone body causes a bit of a stir. Not that any of the Spiders are particularly opposed to the idea of letting her play. As mentioned, neither her chassis nor software are a particularly good fit for combat, so she won’t really have any unfair advantage. But her interest in the whole affair is certainly surprising.
And there’s definitely one advantage to having her there: if - knock on wood! - anybody would happen to be injured somehow, getting them off of the field and evacuated will certainly be very easy with a medical assistance unit on hand!

It’s time to begin, and there are some eager looks from some of the Spiders. Seems they remember a few of the staff from their own years at the Rocha Academy… Not that the teachers, Helga especially, are much less eager…

They’re going at it the classic paintball way, with no TAG-Soft style off-field battle controler.
Bolo’s crew definitely have an advantage today - unlike the Angels, who, before trying paintball, had that afternoon of lazer-tag drills to their names, the Academy staff other than Diego and Yuni don’t really have any experience in small-units teamwork, let alone combat. And it definitely shows.

The battle’s not a walkover, but the staff are struggling. At least in the first clashes (Diego directing his people to dig in and wait out Bolo’s ambush attempt, and Bolo attempting a flanking maneuver with Diego reacting with hit-&-run tactics) they give out as good as they get, the casualties on both sides equal (Yuni and DeeDee going down early, unfortunately). After that however, Diego’s team starts slowly bleeding bodies with almost nothing to show for it. Despite holding the tactical advantage through most of the match, and some last ditch brilliant maneuvers, all thanks to Diablo’s experience, the staff team just can’t effectively capitalize on it, and are picked off one by one. Isabell and Diego are the last ones eliminated, the match ending with a 9 to 4 kill count for Bolo’s Spiders.

The day continues in a similar fashion, the Spiders winning all of their matches. Still, Diego’s new team at least shows promise. By the end of the day they’re definitely broken in on the teamwork front, and their combat performance shows promise throughout. Progress will certainly be slow - let’s be honest, they’re not as young as the girls! Nor are they going to train with the same intensity, being somewhat more busy (though some simulation “homework” in the same vein Diablo assigns the Angels won’t go amiss).

Bolo jokes that it’s nice to be able to beat Diego again - with the Angels improving by leaps and bounds, it’s a rare occasion nowadays the Spiders can enjoy a decisive victory, let alone so many times in a row. So they better get their wins while the getting is good!

DeeDee is a bit disappointed in herself - poor dear is somewhat clumsy with the drone, and not able to contribute as much as she feels she should… But she does her best, and her efforts are appreciated.
Senhor Ramoz is still a bit iffy on the whole experience, but he appears to be warming to it.
And Gerhard seems to live up quite nicely to his promises of being quick on his feet!

They end the day with the traditional campfire picnic. And this time, all the participants being of legal age, they can break out some real beer to accompany the sausages! Though Diablo makes a note to next time bring along some battery, or maybe download some tasty file, for DeeDee…

In general, all the participants enjoyed themselves, and part ways in high spirits.
They probably won’t manage to play every Sunday, both the staff and Spiders won’t always be available (like Diego and Yuni doing their, by this point pretty traditional, out-of-town excercise trip). Though in the opponent department, finding other teams willing to take on the Academy staff should be less difficult than doing so for the Angels still. The Spiders won’t be the only ones to relish the idea of kicking the butts of their former teachers for sure!...

“ - Well, how did it go?” Alex inquires of Diego once he’s back home. “ - The old farts any good? You trading us girls in for the new team?” she teases.
“ - Yup, starting tomorrow.” Diego smirks. “ - Seriously, though, I think I can whip them into shape...”
“ - We should set up a match between your old guys and the Angels one day!”
“ - Not a bad idea… But which team would I be on?”
“ - Well, it’s illegal and stuff, but you’re a Nomad so you probably don’t care,” Alex smirks ” - So we could initiate a Cube copy of you to lead one!”
“ - Heh. That’s way too expensive. And boring - either way, I would always win...”

Alex herself doesn’t even try to hide her excitement. Tomorrow, her “exile” ends, and she’ll be able to rejoin the Angels. She’s definitely looking forward to it, something she’ll readily admit she didn’t expect to ever say not so long ago!


Monday, January 13

No outstanding business or urgent things to take care of today. Diego comes in to
the Academy at his usual time.

As predicted, Octavia has fully recovered from the spot of cold she caught at the Saturday, rain-soaked paintball session, and is quite eager to hit the field again.

Of course, the biggest event today is Alex’ triumphant return to the fold.
Minnie greets Alex with a gleeful tackle-glomp and a bubbling stream of cheer, and Alex doesn’t even defend herself too much this time. At least for a couple minutes, when she finally has enough and shoos Chryse off.
The others are more restrained, but quite enthusiastic still.
Morgan and Alex share small nods, smaller (at least for Lai) smiles, and one word greetings. Alex teasingly congratulates Eva on not letting the team fall apart in her absence, and exchanges shyly awkward but warm smiles with Nyree…

Senhorita Silva on the other hand is, understandably, rather apprehensive at Alex’ return… For her part, Narahari limits herself to a predatory grin and a few lightly needling comments Sam’s way. For now, anyway...

It’s TAG exercise time… And with Alex back, the logistical problem from last week gets bigger. With Eric and his team working on the last batch of TAG upgrades, there are now two people left without machines and needing to join the training through VR sim.

The TAG being worked on today is Patty’s Szalamandra. It was supposed to be the last one last week, but since Diego didn’t have a preference, ‘Nique suggested to Eric redying Alex’ Anaconda instead, so the returning trigger-happy teen could get right back into action. Alex definitely appreciates the gesture!

She also appreciates the new gun that’s waiting for her, her eyes shining and grin eager as she takes in the TAG-scale Spitfire.
“ - Awww, Coach, you shouldn’t have!”
“ - Oh? Okay, we’ll send it right back...”
“ - NO! I was joking! Gimme!”

Patty is fully okay with doing the sim with her machine unavailable, and ‘Nique graciously volunteers her Anaconda for Samantha, who’ll at this stage definitely benefit more from as much real piloting training as possible.
Yuni will also join in through the VR, to make for even 5-on-5 teams (with Eva and Nyree each commanding one and membership otherwise fluid from drill to drill). Which leaves Eric, with his usual protestations of little talent, to serve as the other combat controller.

The Angels of Stone proceed to have a good training session.
Alex is really happy with her new lead-belcher, especially when she can point it at Silva! Though her high morale today makes her rather open to orders and direction, including giving Sam a break when asked to do so.
Silva herself continues to put in a promising performance. By now, Diego has her general ability level pretty well pegged. Despite starting late, she looks to be about team average except in accuracy and lateral thinking, where she’s quite talented.
Nyree gets some more work in with the smoke grenades for her launcher.
Octy of course continues to be the most dangerous thing on the field, though the training is by now seriously paying off, and several of the others are slowly but surely starting to nip at the cellist’s heels...

After the training, Evangeline brings back the topic of the Angels’ media presence. The recent weeks were full of distractions, so that issue was pushed into the background. But now that all more pressing troubles seem to be happily dealt with, it’s high time to get back on it! Diego remember Eva seemed to have some idea for dealing with that matter. Indeed, the Neve heir promises to introduce the Coach to someone she believes will be a good junior media contact for the team as soon as she can arrange it.

Alex also has an issue she thinks should be brought up…
“ - I knew I couldn’t count on you lot to deal with it when I was gone.” Narahari shakes her head in mock sadness. “ - Silva’s our first ever non-founding member, isn’t she? So, isn’t there some tradition usually associated with such occasions?...” she smirks at Samantha.
“ - That eager to haze the new girl, are you Alex?” Diablo’s voice is light, but carries a warning undertone.
“ - Oooh, like an initiation prank? We had that in the cheer team!” Minnie perks up. “ - It was fun!”
And now Octavia also seems to be glancing at Samantha with a calculating expression!...
“ - Well…” Nyree hesitates, “ - In many military units, those ‘pranks’ tend to be…” she cringes.
“ - ...Rather less fun and more brutal.” finishes Diego.
“ - As I recall, you already got to, ehm, ‘prank’ Sam when she first came to us.” Eva raises a prim eyebrow at Alex, recalling the rather vicious underwear pulling Narahari delivered to Silva. “ - That should be enough, don’t you think?” she declares firmly.
“ - She wasn’t on the team yet, so that doesn’t count!” Alex protests. “ - Aw, c’mon, it’s not like it has to be anything really bad!...”
“ - I’d still prefer not to cultivate any such ‘traditions’.” Diablo shakes his head.
“ - So, you were always the well-behaved one, were you, Coach?” Patty asks teasingly. “ - Fully professional behaviour, tight discipline, and irreprochable manners, huh?” the DJ grins.
“ - Manners, my ass!” Diego laughs. “ - Did I ever say I was never young and dumb? If so, I was lying.”
“ - So you did pull your squadmates’ tails* after all?” Minnie giggles.
“ - Well, not really…”
“ - What, they didn’t have any tails either?!” the hyper teen seems scandalized.
“ - Minnie, the Coach is Corregidorran.” Morgan gently reminds. “ - Tails are more a Bakunin thing…”
“ - Not that we never did mixed operations.” Diablo clarifies. “ - But not with rookies, on the ones I was on anyway. Still… No, you chicas really don’t want to know what kind of ‘pranks’ grunts pull on fresh meat. And you’re all underage anyway…”

* Linguistic Note: There’s a double meaning lost in translation here, as in Polish, in both military and academic settings, un-initiated rookies are usually called “cats” as a derogatory term...

“ - Hell, now we REALLY want to know!” Patty exclaimes, laughing. “ - C’mon, Coach, you can’t tease us like that!...”

All the girl really seem to be eager to hear some dreadful tales, even Eva, much as she tries to hide it behind a disapproving, proper expression, and Sam, with morbid curiosity…
“ - Well, to chose something from the milder end of the repartee…” a few disappointed groans, ” - Rubbing pure capsaicin-derived contact agent on toilet seats seemed to happen with some regularity… And there was that TAG plumbing backwash incident… Anyway, I’m sure Nyree could tell you some stories too...” Diablo deflects.
“ - Yeah,” the Maori girl chuckles awkwardly, “ - I did hear quite a bit of such tales…”
“ - Let me guess, from your granddad?”
“ - If only him! Mom and dad had their fair share. Let no-one be under the illusion that such things are the domain of ‘unruly’ Nomads, and don’t happen in the ‘straight-laced’ Pan-O military!...”

The topic is closed for now, to Samantha’s visible relief - the others won’t be getting any (more) ideas...
Still, as they’re departing, a little group forms around Nyree, most prominently including Alex and Octy…

Diego feels the need to caution the girls firmly - having a laugh is fine, but he won’t tolerate anything beyond that!
“ - Let me be clear. If anybody ever messes with the TAG plumbing? I’m not sure yet what I’ll do to them, but I’ll make sure to be creative! Will have to be, really, with how little will be left of the perpetrator after chief Wana gets to them…”

Evangeline tries to be supportive, assuring Sam that nothing bad will happen to her. Weather Silva believes that is an open question.


Tuesday, January 14

As promised, Evangeline wastes no time. Diego receives a comlog call from her today, in conference with another person - their prospective school media contact.
A first year high school student with an unassuming face, Eva introduces the boy as one Vaughn Gross, an acquaintance from the Academy’s business club. More importantly of course, he’s one of the main editors and reporters for the Academy Maya periodical.

Vaughn greets Diablo politely, expressing some regret at not taking any interest in the TAG-Soft team himself, apparently taken in by the lingering legacy of ill repute from the previous iteration, even with the recent success, until miss Neve appeared to give him a push… Especially since one of the local professional reporters, one miss Vanette, got there first!
Still, for the Rocha Academy’s own contribution to the datasphere, the Angels media presence is still restricted to dry, expert-system generated press releases. And - taking nothing away from her lovable nature and helpfulness, of course! - it has to be said that miss Alephsdottir is not a PR professional, or even a very good writer, alas…

Well, time to change all that!
As their new official media contact with first access, Vaughn plans to start with finally giving the team a real “human face” - meaning a series of light interviews with all members. And what better place to start then the team’s coach and captain, since he has them both here today?

Well, the last culture vulture that tried interviewing Diablo was insistently digging for some cheap scandal, and barely avoided being thrown down the stairs, even if he didn’t know it… But let’s give this kid a chance to prove himself the better, less slimy media worker.

Vaughn does indeed do so, conducting the interviews with considerable professionalism and aplomb for such a young, relatively inexperienced reporter.

They stick to mostly safe topics, touching a bit on the cultural differences Diego experiences on Avalon (not quite as big as could be maybe expected, seeing as the planet’s main cultural component is Latin-American, similar to Corregidor), his general impressions of the place, and Diablo’s opinions on the team, collectively and as individuals.

Diego does play it safe still (for example, he chooses not to mention his first encounter with Yuni, when asked about his first impressions of Avalon, instead going forward to the surprise of being presented with an all-female volunteer roster). He makes sure to mention the positive surprise of Alex’ personal progress - some officially endorsed good press for the girl won’t hurt. They also touch upon the Angels’ near future game plans. No, Diablo prefers to be a firm realist, and not dream about any serious tournaments or titles, instead focusing on the present. Still, the team definitely has promise…

Once done, Vaughn also asks about the possibility of visiting on of the Angels’ training sessions, to get a first-hand, inside look at the team at work, which Diego has no objections to. In fact, they arrange for the young reporter to come by tomorrow.


Wednesday, January 15

It’s time for a VR training session today for the Anjos de Rocha. That’s actually not inconvenient at all - they can include the visiting student reporter in the simulation, letting him experience as close to a “day in the life of an Angel” as possible!

The girls are slowly arriving at their usual paces, meaning ‘Nique is there even earlier than Diablo, to get some work in at the hangar first. The second to arrive is Samantha, alone today - Evangeline will be along later, bringing Vaughn. Octavia will probably be last, as usual for Wednesdays - staying behind after band practice for some time with Fred…

Nyree, Alex, Eva and Octy are still missing (well, ‘Nique is still waist deep head-first in a TAG, so she doesn’t quite count as present), the group waiting with Diego in their “classroom”, when “the shit hits the fan”. Almost literally even…

Alex and Nyree arrive - together. Alex is very obviously gleeful, while Nyree looks unsure, looking amused, but also guilty about it. Alex very deliberately walks up to Samantha, the bespectacled blonde becoming fidgety and worried. The others turn to look, and Patty’s grin indicates that at least she probably knows a bit more of what is about to go down.

Diablo sighs internally. Welp, here it comes!...

Grinning widely, Alex moves her hands from where she was carrying something behind her back, and with a flourish plops a disposable dessert plate on the desk in front of Samantha. A plate with something on it...
Silva’s eyes grow wide in shock and disgust. “ - W-what’s t-that supposed t-to be?!” she chokes out, leaning back distressedly.
“ - Well, I’m no expert,” Alex’ grin only gets wider, “ - Buuut... It looks like a turd to me!” she declares happily.

It does in fact look just like that. A big, fresh, “juicy”, light brown lump of fecal matter!

“ - Still, if you want, I can make sure for you?” Alex offers magnanimously, her grin now only describable as “shit-eating”... Quite fittingly, as she proceeds to blithely stick her finger into the obvious excrement, scooping up a small dose… Then happily sticks it in her mouth, licking the finger clean! “ - Yup! DEFINITELY scat! So, spoon?” she presents Sam with a plastic spoon, suggestion clear…

Silva makes a little inarticulate, choked sound. In rapid succession she goes very pale, then very green, then jumps out of her seat knocking the chair over and streaks out of the room, holding her mouth in huge distress. Everyone can hear the door of the nearby bathroom slam open, then the toilet stall… And then the unmistakable sound of Sam being violently sick in there.

Alex and Patty both dissolve into gales of laughter. Morgan shakes her head with her tiny smile, more resigned then approving. Minnie giggles in disbelief. And Nyree looks even more amused and guilty.

“ - Baalzebub's hairy balls!...” Diablo sighs again, mostly managing to restrain his grin.
“ - Coach. Language.” Morgan chides gently, tiny smile teasing, while the others giggle.
“ - Well, my usual ‘Lucifer’s beard’ just doesn’t cover it this time…” he defends, smirking wider. “ - Ok, I guess I should put on some tea…”

“ - So, I suspect that’s not a real, um…” Morgan inquires.
Alex doesn’t have breath to spare, slumped in a chair now, still chortling. She just weakly points at Nyree.
“ - No, not at all.” the dark girl hurries to assure.
“ - I think I know that one,” Diego offers, “ - Cornflakes, powdered milk, and peanut butter, right?”
“ - And some sculpting, yes.”
“ - Ingenious.” Morgan quips dryly.

“ - That was funny, but also kinda mean…” Minnie pokes Alex with gentle chastisement… Then she eyes the plate. “ - That’s a lot of peanut butter… What are you gonna do with it now?”
Alex is finally able to slowly catch her breath. “ - It served its purpose… I guess we throw it away…”
“ - What?!” Minuette is scandalized. “ - All that sweetness, and you want to waste it?! Give me that spoon!” she demands with determination.
“ - You serious, Chryse?” Alex raises an eyebrow.
“ - Dead serious!” declares Minuette. She picks up the spoon and plate. “ - So much peanut butter, going in the trash? I won’t allow such travesty!”
“ - So, should I get spoons for the rest of you? I have all fate that Minnie could put it all away by herself, but I’m sure she’ll share if you ask…” Diablo teases.

And this is when Evangeline enters, Vaughn in tow...

“ - Could SOMEONE please explain,” Eva demands with aristocratic indignation, standing in the door, fists on hips, prim eyebrow raised dangerously, “ - Why Samantha is, pardon the crude expression, puking her guts out in the bathroom?!”

...Just in time to witness Minnie taking a big spoonful of the disgustingly (and very skillfully, one must admit) sculpted sweet mass and jam it in her mouth!
“ - Mmm-mmm, delish!” the curly-haired girl mumbles around her treat, smiling in bliss.

Evangeline is pretty pale-skinned anyway, but now goes stark white.
Vaughn does not stop at white, following Samantha’s footsteps, first figuratively, by turning green, then literally, throwing himself in the direction of the bathroom. In a moment, a second voice joins Silva’s in a vomit duet.
Well, that’s certainly one way to start his “inside look” at the team!...

“ - Good thing I started brewing an entire kettle.” quips Diablo, as Alex and Patty break down laughing again. Morgan hides her smile behind a facepalm, while Minnie gives an “ooops!” grin. “ - Don’t worry, Eva, it’s mostly just peanut butter.” he hastens to explain at her desperately demanding look.
“ - I’m so sorry!” Nyree is now definitely miserable, if still a bit perversely amused. “ - I let Alex and the others talk me into sharing some techniques I heard about from my family…”
“ - Looks like I should have a serious talk with your grandfather… Some twenty years ago!” Diablo mock-chides.

Alex still can’t stop chuckling, so Morgan, as per tradition, slaps her over the head. Which doesn’t really help, with how ceremonial the gesture has by now become, only promoting further giggling.

“ - Is she really going to eat all of it?” Eva indicates Minnie, who continues to chow down, with some despair. “ - I don’t think I can watch…”
“ - Just as well, maybe check on Sam then?” Diego gently suggests.
“ - Yes. Yes, and Vaughn. Good idea.” Eva gathers her mental balance and quickly retreats.

‘Nique and Octavia finally come in (or “crawl out”, in Dominique’s case…).
“ - What’s with all the laughing? And the throwing up?” ‘Nique points towards the toilets, puzzled. “ - Did we miss something?...”
“ - You can say you did.” confirms Diego. “ - Not to worry though, I’m sure someone has the whole thing recorded…” he raises an eyebrow at Patty, who tries to look innocent and fails.
Octy for her part says nothing, just wears a curious little smile…

By now, Minnie has at least mercifully mangled the mass on the plate to unrecognizable slop.

“ - I trust,” Eva grates out as she finally comes back with Sam and Vaughn, both cleaned up but still a bit pale-green (they gratefully accept cups of tea from Diego), “ - That this takes care of any initiation traditions we’re expected to observe?” she gives Alex a cool look. Alex grins back guilelessly.
“ - It better.” Diablo warns mildly. “ - Or else I just might borrow Minnie’s pet for a surprise cuddle for you…”
“ - No more pranks, I promise!” Alex shudders at the thought of Gummy the spider.
“ - I’ll believe it when I see it…”

“ - Minnie, got any mint candy?” Diablo asks, indicating Sam and Vaughn. “ - Those two will appreciate it, I bet…”
“ - Suhe! Onhy… Anhbodh’s goh mylkh?...” Minnie mumbles hopefully through a mouth thoroughly gummed up with peanut butter.
“ - At least this way she’ll stay mostly silent...” Diablo teases. “ - Minnie is hyper enough with her normal intake of sweets… Can you imagine what she’ll be like after THIS much sugar?”
The girls exchange some mock-horrified looks and giggles.

Vaughn gives Evangeline a bemused, slightly helpless look, encompassing all he has witnessed and experienced here so far. Eva just rolls her eyes good naturedly.
“ - Yeah, the social dynamics of the Anjos de Rocha are rather interesting, aren’t they?” Diablo smiles at the young reporter. “ - And yes, that’s usually ‘interesting’ in the meaning of that old Yu Jing curse…” he chuckles.

“ - Alright, let’s maybe start again, from the very beginning…” Evangeline proposes resolutely.
She introduces Vaughn Gross to the rest of the Angels. (Diego notes that in person, the kid is really quite tall, but also very thin and lanky.) The girls greet their new media contact with interest. Minnie of course does her usual welcoming routine, of a huge, enthusiastic hug. Which doesn’t throw the boy as much as it could - he’s obviously somewhat aware of senhorita’s Chryse reputation for effusiveness, though he is surprised at the strength of the squeeze!

Before they begin the training session though, it’s Minnie, who, after using her amazing sweets-devouring powers to clean the plate and unstick her mouth, has something more to discuss. As she says, it’s a late Christmas / New Year present she has for the team, one she had worked on for quite some time, in her role as the Angels’ self-appointed “morale officer” even!...
“ - And how nice that we have our new reporter on hand for this! It’s gonna be a historical moment for the team! Only proper to have it reported on!” she cheers.

Okay? This ought to be good!...

What it turns out to be, as Minnie gleefully explains, hopping in place in excitement, is callsigns for everybody! All the other teams seem to have them, and, according to miss Chryse at least, it’s high time all the Angels got some too, not only the Coach!
“ - Oooh, I hope you like them! I worked so hard to find something fitting!”

In Diablo’s opinion, the best callsigns are rarely officially created, rather they appear organically, so he’s honestly lukewarm to the idea… But it’s hard to argue with Minnie’s earnest enthusiasm, and if the others are into it too, who’s he to piss against the wind and spoil their fun?

And so it is that Minuette pronounces the Angels’ new “stage names”:
“ - Eva was easy - she’s the Princess!”
“ - What else?” Evangeline sighs and rolls her eyes in a put upon manner, but she can’t hide a small smile.
“ - Octy is definitely our Virtuoso, both in music and in mayhem!”
“ - That’s, um, that’s a bit much, don’t you think?...” Octavia mumbles, blushing shyly.
“ - Nah, it’s perfect!” Patty grins at her bestie.
“ - Patty’s another easy one, she basically has one already! She’s Scr4tch!” Quite how Minnie is able to audibly pronounce 1447 without just saying the numbers is a mystery, but she does. Must be her linguistic talent... Patricia is pleased either way.
“ - Morgan! You’ll be Lullaby!”
“ - Of course.” Lai deadpans, but with their experience reading her, the tiny, tiny smile is as obvious as it can be.
“ - Nyree is our Rainmaker!”
“ - More thunder than water in that rainstorm, but it’s definitely accurate!” Alex grins, punching ‘Ree in the shoulder companionably, making her blush.
“ - And Alex! You were tricky… But that new delivery gave me an idea! Spitfire!”
“ - You naming me after the gun?” Alex furrows her brow in surprise, then grins again. “ - I like it!”
“ - Not just the gun.” Nyree puts in, slipping into her “encyclopedia” mode. “ - It was also a fighter airplane in the 20th century World War Two… A pretty famous one…” she calls up some photos on her comlog for Alex to examine. “ - Heh. That’s ancient!… But kinda neat! I like it even more now! Can I get teeth like those painted on my TAG?...”
“ - ‘Nique, for you… Chispita!” which comlogs helpfully translate for those who don’t speak Spanish, as “(little) spark”.
“ - Um…” Dominique blushes rather heavily at that for some reason, but looks happy anyway.
“ - And, well, I’m pretty obvious too! Cupcake!”
“ - Your parents’ nickname for you?” Patty chuckles.
“ - Sure! I love it, and it fits, right?” Minnie beams.
“ - Can’t really argue with that…” Summers shrugs equably.
“ - Oh, and can’t forget Mako! She’s still our honorary member!” Minnie declares next. “ - She’s our Wasp, of course!”
“ - Fast and stingy, sure.” Alex is convinced.
“ - And that leaves Samantha…” Minnie smiles at their newest member. “ - I had a toughie of a time with you, appearing last minute like that!… But I think I have a solution! You’re gonna be... Sour-Sweet!” she pronounces grandly, grinning.
Sam blinks. “ - Hum… I… Guess I can see what you did there?...” she muses.
“ - Overdramatic, and sweets-based, as expected of Minuette,” Eva smirks, “ - But yes, nicely symbolic.”
“ - I... Don’t really have a choice anyway, do I?” Sam makes an amused grimace.
“ - Nope!” Minnie declares brightly, jumping in with a hug for the bespectacled girl. “ - You’re one of us now!”
“ - I… Think I can live with that.” Samantha can’t help a smile.
“ - Umm…” Octavia raises a point, “ - Shouldn’t miss Yuni get one too?”
“ - Yeah, she definitely should!” agrees ‘Nique. The others nod.
“ - Well, I would…” Minnie grins mischievously. “ - But I think it will be most fair to leave coming up with that for the Coach!...” she giggles, giving Diego a suggestive look. The others join her in both, catching on quickly.
“ - Welp, I’ll be looking forward to it!...” Yuni laughs, clapping Diego on the shoulder, winking.

Evangeline discreetly directs Vaughn to edit the last bit out of his report…

As usual, Patty is entrusted with the team’s art direction, incorporating their new callsigns into their insignia (and adding the “tiger teeth” decal to Alex’ machine).

That done, the newly christened Angels finally begin their VR training for the day, joined by senhor Gross. The boy makes for an eager if rather bumbling “combat reporter”. At least, compared to some warcors Diablo’s had the “luck” to work with, he can take instruction, not to stick his head out under fire, pretty well. And in a few drills, Diablo actually makes Vaughn the objective, a VIP to be protected… Or eliminated.

They end the day with ‘Nique staying a bit longer to give Vaughn a quick tour of the base hangar, and letting him see the real TAGs up-close.

By the end of the day, even without any more interviews (he’ll be doing them over the rest of the week), Vaughn has plenty of material for some fluff pieces on the Anjos.


Thursday, July 16 - Sunday, July 19

The rest of the week passes with no real excitement or accidents.

Diego’s caches a shift at Silva’s on Thursday, while Alex continues her part-time shifts almost everyday. Alex also continues her involvement with the study group led by Nyree, with Eva, ‘Nique, and now also Sam. It seems, as the last three put it, that Tiana Dimante is still stewing in her resentment, but still not boiling over…

Diego’s comlog makes him aware that the first birthday among the Angels since the team’s formation is coming up soon. In fact, it’s gonna be July 22, next Wednesday, that Nyree will be celebrating her 15th! Hm. Just fifteen. With the studious girl having skipped two grades on the way, and how mature she usually acts, all of them often forget she’s younger than the rest...

Alex also gets that notification, and is fretting over what to get Nyree for a gift.
“ - A dragon.” Diego suggests, half in jest. Little Rikoriko did have that book…
“ - Well, where the hell would I get one of those?” grumbles Alex. “ - Hmm… You did mention dracomons once or twice, Coach?...” she looks to Diablo hopefully.
“ - NO!” is his slightly panicked answer. “ - Usually illegal, and hard to import even if not. But even above that? Those little beasts are like cats, only worse. I’m not sure how captain Rikoriko would react to you introducing into her home a bloody-minded critter that would chew on the shoes, scratch the furniture, raid the fridge, refuse to vacate the middle of the table while licking its balls, and resist any attempts at discipline worse than a feral Antipode, but I’m sure it wouldn’t be pretty or earn you any favor!…”
“ - Yeah, pissing off Nyree’s mom any more is definitely not a good idea...” Alex agrees. “ - Some plush toy, then? My first thought was a book, but I’m not sure I could get her anything she doesn’t already own...” She sighs.
“ - You have a bit of time yet. I’m sure you’ll think of something.”
“ - I hope so…”

Vaughn is hard at work, interviewing the Angels one by one, releasing his first batch of color articles on the team. And things are finally starting to seriously move in the datasphere. DeeDee provides Diego with the statistics, and the number of “clicks” the Angels are getting in the Maya is steadily going up. Cinderblock and his team’s mention of them in their earlier interview, the publicity appearance at the St. Florence Rorke Children's Hospital, and the charity match with the Knights of the Round Table, with attendant media coverage, got them some nice name recognition already. And now when they’re finally getting some dedicated PR support, it looks like their star may be finally well and truly on the rise… Let’s see how things go from there.

They have another productive Saturday paintball practice with Bolo’s Spiders, again taking Gross along and showing him some action. He doesn’t neglect to gather some opinions on the Angels from the Spiders to include in his coverage.

Diego also manages to organize another Sunday outing against the Spiders for the staff team, though one shorter this time. The “old-timers” seem to be getting along pretty well - them manage to win a match this time!

Finishing earlier lets Diego and Yuni still get in a motorcycle ride out of town.

And now it’s less than two weeks until their match with the Crimson Gale…


This concludes entry #22.

[Kathara_Khan]

Well, here it is, finally. Took me almost two months to write it down...

We had a laugh with that one.

Big thanks to one of our faithful fans, jherazob, for providing me with invaluable brainstorming help
in coming up with the Angels' new callsigns!

[Errhile]

TAGs of Avalon Data Files:
Education System of PanOceania

School education in PanO usually begins in a child’s 7th year, with an option for staring at age 6 if the child is emotionally and intellectually fit for it at this age (which is a subject of examination by assorted professionals).
School starts with 6 years of primary school (formally divided into “introductory” in years 1-3, and “basic” in years 4-6).

At age 13, it is time to switch for junior high school (taking 3 years). This is the limit for mandatory education.

After that, there comes senior high school (another 3 years - with some exceptions). One who has graduated from a senior high school is considered to have completed their secondary education, and fit for university-level education.

University-level educational institutions accept students based on their achievement score in senior high - usually, scores in the subjects that matter for a given field of study (if there are less spaces available, the bar tends to be raised). Specific achievements (like scoring in a contest of some kind) and extracurricular activities count for extra points*. In most cases, university takes three years to a bachelor’s degree (or equivalent), and then another 2 to 3 years to get a master degree (after that, you can go for a doctorate, where the timetable becomes really fuzzy). In some cases, studies may skip the entire concept of a bachelor degree, and go straight for master’s (5-6 years).

* Remember the talk Alex had with Diego about her further education? Participating in a TAG-Soft programme in high school is likely to get her extra points if she tries to go for an university that also runs a TAG-Soft team.

Similar entry requirements are in place for senior high and some junior high schools (only the real high-end high schools need to discriminate between candidates in such a fashion). However, combined institutions - like Roberto Rocha Preparatory Academy - tend to make sure that their elementary school’s graduate has enough points to enter their junior high, and so on.

Exact names of school types vary by dominant culture and language of a given area.

Apart from typical senior high school, a few other school types exist as alternative for post-junior high education:

Specialized senior high. Usually this means a technical high school, mixing your typical high school curriculum (usually oriented towards science that’s relevant to their field of study - those folks aren’t big on humanities) with specialized practical knowledge. A graduate, in addition to holding a complete secondary education certificate, is also a qualified technician in a given field - computers, mechanics, construction, but a number of medical specialties also exist: you can easily get a dental prosthetics technician’s qualification that way. And yes, they are required to do internships during their education. Specialized senior high tends to take 4 years (one year longer than general-type senior high), and their graduates tend to go for university-level education in the same or similar field. Among the youth, students of that type of school are often perceived as consummate & unredeemable geeks (especially the more science / tech oriented ones).

Arts senior high. Similar idea as behind specialized senior high (and takes 4 years too), but it cuts on generic curriculum to fit extra arts time. These schools tend to specialize in specific art type (visual arts, music etc), and while they give students a broad education within a given field of art (for example, visual/fine arts high school is going to include drawing, painting, sculpting, computer graphics, photography, pottery and whatever else they can find instructors for, into their curriculum), they also make sure the pupils can and will practise on what they’re really good at. This type of school isn’t really numerous, and classes tend to be very small too (sometimes it is less than 10 kids on a given level in an entire school!).
If you attend an arts high, expect other youth to perceive you as an eccentric, oddball, quirky artsy type by definition. In many cases, there’s good reason for that!

Trade school. Not formally a “high school” - finishing it doesn’t give you formal complete high education certificate (you can’t get into an university, unless you do a supplementary high school course. Very few trade school graduates do bother that, however). General high school curriculum is cut to a bare minimum, and trade course is fit in the space vacated. Typically, this type of school produces people trained in manual labor of some kind - if you’re lucky, you may end being a well-trained craftsman with practical experience (internship is also a part of the curriculum!), for even in this day and age, hand-made things and personalized services can be highly sought after. If you’re unlucky, you turn out being fit for a job that would better (and often is) be left to automated systems. Local educational authorities are expected to review labor market needs for tradesmen every year and make sure trade schools don’t produce unemployable graduates, but it does hardly work as it is intended to. Needless to say, trade schools are low-prestige, and attended by kids of the lower social strata.
They are commonly perceived by other students as uncouth, uncultured and downright primitive (which is not really justified, but that’s the trade school’s student type that does catch the eye & public attention often enough to make it a stereotype). No class-conscious student of the Roberto Rocha Preparatory Academy would be ever caught dead* in the same room as a trade school student.

* Rubbing your elbows with them - or even more than that! - while “slumming” can slide by, assuming “slumming” is your thing, but it is one thing to have the reputation of someone who lives dangerously, parties on the edge and has contacts in the unsavoury circles, and completely different thing being even assumed to have anything in common with the teenagers form that other side of tracks!

A “class” is a fixed group of students from the same year following the same curriculum together*, and usually is coeducational. Some schools, primarily those ran by religious institutions, maintain separate male and female classes (or may be simply one-gender-only schools) - this is uncommon, but not unheard of.

* Unless, for practical reason, it is reasonable to mix, match and separate. The most obvious case being PE that is often coed in the introductory years 1-3 of the primary school, but always separate-by-gender thereafter. On the other hand, boys or girls from two different classes in the same year may be taking their PE together, if pooling them makes a study group of sensible size.

In higher standard schools like the Roberto Rocha Preparatory Academy, classes are composed of 15-20 students (and gravitating to the lower end of that spectrum), based on psychological evaluation. In underfunded, understaffed and overcrowded schools - like the St.John’s - a class tends to be 30 children or more (though even there these rarely exceed 40 students), usually thrown together ad-hoc.
Since there might be (and usually are) several such classes in every year, they are usually identified by a letter (year 1 - classes 1a, 1b, 1c and so on, the same kids will be in classes 2a, 2b and 2c, respectively, next year). Barring transfer to a different school (or class, but that is rare), the group will retain its composition till the end of a given education cycle - you got landed with those folks in junior high grade 1, you’ll have to deal with them till the end of that school, and you’d get another group in senior high.

Usually, a class in a senior high school (and often in junior high) is profiled towards a given area of study: “humanities”, “science”, “math” & “life science” (or their combinations) are the most common specializations, followed closely by “sports” (less common can include “business”, “media”, “art” and even “military”). A profiled class takes extra education in a given area of study (and might get some classes not included in a general curriculum, but appropriate for their profile). A school typically runs at least one humanities and one science (mixed) class at each level, so you can choose when signing up.

A class is usually taught by the same teachers over the entire course of its existence (same Literature teacher, same Math teacher and so on). Also, a class is assigned to a specific teacher to be their caretaker (so called “homeroom teacher”, customary, a teacher within the class’ profile).

* GM’s Note: For a full disclaimer, I instinctively and unthinkingly started using this whole system because it’s more or less how things work in our country, so it was natural for me. Didn’t give any thought to it maybe being different until things indicating it were already put down in text and published and it was too late.

The typical school year schedule is based on the Earth calendar and independent of the seasons on the other planets, and is as follows:
I Semester: August 1 - October 6;
Semester break: October 7 - October 13;
II Semester: October 14 - December 22;
“Winter” holiday / New Year break: December 23 - January 6;
III Semester: January 7 - March 17;
Semester break: March 18 - March 24;
IV Semester: March 25 - May 31;
“Summer” break: June 1 - July 31.

[Azrial_Kohaku]

Made an account just to admit that i stalk this thread like a drug adict looking for there fix.

Amazing work as always and keep up the good work

[Kathara_Khan]

TAGs of Avalon Data Files:
Avalon Planetary Data​

System: Malory
Parent Star: Nimue G1V (Yellow Standard)
Average Orbital Distance: 1.1 AU (System Position: 2)
Day Duration: 26.5h E-standard
Year Duration: 405d E-standard, 367d local
Axial Tilt: 25.3 degrees
Planetary Radius: 0.87 Earth
Surface Gravity: 0.92g
Hydrographic Coverage: 85%
Moons: 1, (Moon Radius: 0.93 Earth Moon)
Planet Population: 1.4 billion
Off-Planet System Population: 4.7 million (mainly asteroid belt)
Owner: PanOceanina
Government: Lobby Democracy
Government Head: Prime Minister
Capitol: Port Arthur (Morgana)
Anthem: “In The Apple Tree Grove”
Primary Languages: English, Spanish, Portuguese, Malay.
Principal Industries: Aquaculture, Undersee Mining, Asteroid Mining, Farming
Orbital Elevators: 1, Class B
Wormhole Connections: Acontecimento, Human Edge, Paradiso, Varuna, Svalarheima
Circular Routes: C2, C6, C9

Capsule:
The second new habitable planet discovered after the EI War, just three years after the end of the conflict (discovery date: 2183 AD / 71 NC, March 7). First surveyed by the PanO probe Svargeey Ghoda, transitioning through a newly discovered wormhole from the Descoberta (Acontecimento) system.

Landmasses consist of two continents: Morgana (South America-sized) and Merlin (Australia-sized), both located with their major bulk in the south hemisphere’s temperate to subtropical zones; and several major islands and archipelagos scattered about over all the globe.

Local flora is lush, energetic, and expansive (though not to the Paradiso degree).
Local fauna dominantly consists of fish in all aquatic habitats, and various insects and arachnids, some of prodigious (up to small dog) size, on land and with some species also aquatic.
The fauna is as a rule not aggressive towards humans, and mostly tends to ignore or avoid them (though there are some notable exceptions, like Ramjet Wasps). In fact, some of it can be domesticated and is kept as pets.

The local biochemistry makes both local flora and fauna mainly non-poisonous and non-venomous to humans and other Earth organisms (but see Ramjet Wasps again), and vice-versa; but equally the makeup makes both-way edibility provide very limited to no useful nutrients.

The planet’s name was derived from the trees dominant in Morgana’s temperate forests, whose smallish, dark-red fruit bear striking visual resemblance to Earth-born apples. The “Avalon Apples” are in fact built similar to litchi fruit - the shiny dark red outer skin a rigid but brittle shell, gelatinous pulp within, and a single large seed at the core. The taste is more bitter than sweet, and, like most local flora, they pass through the human digestive tract almost completely without effect except for their water content. Still, the apples have their fans and are used as ingredients or decoration in several local recipes.

The first colonisation wave were predominantly Spanish and Portuguese speakers, so despite most of the local official nomenclature being English-derived, the culture of the planet possesses a distinct South American slant.

[Kathara_Khan]

Time for little visual update.

For the first time since two years (has this been going on so long already? ), I have revisited the main Anjos de Rocha portraits, and given them a little face-lift using the experience with Kisekae I acquired in that time, and some additional options implemented in the program since.

Most changes aren't very dramatic, though some are bigger than others. The thing I'm happy about most, is me being finally able to give Morgan something much closer to the proper hair-style!

Ladies and gentlemen: Anjos De Rocha!

Link to the gallery for the full-sized version.

[Kathara_Khan]

Made an account just to admit that i stalk this thread like a drug adict looking for there fix.

Amazing work as always and keep up the good work

I somehow missed your post sneaking in between ours.
Happy to hear you're liking our modest efforts! We'll try not to disappoint...
Always happy to talk to fans, so drop a line if you ever want to comment on anything.

And on that note, all of you'll probably be happy to hear, we have just played the next episode.
Now, me turning it into a story for you might again take a month or two...
But the highlights you can look forward to?
One: Nyree's birthday party, and the gift Alex gets her...
And two: Octavia dislocating an asshole's wrist!

[Azrial_Kohaku]

Made an account just to admit that i stalk this thread like a drug adict looking for there fix.

Amazing work as always and keep up the good work

I somehow missed your post sneaking in between ours.
Happy to hear you're liking our modest efforts! We'll try not to disappoint...
Always happy to talk to fans, so drop a line if you ever want to comment on anything.

And on that note, all of you'll probably be happy to hear, we have just played the next episode.
Now, me turning it into a story for you might again take a month or two...
But the highlights you can look forward to?
One: Nyree's birthday party, and the gift Alex gets her...
And two: Octavia dislocating an asshole's wrist!

Thank you for the sneak peek
your posts have inspired me to begin writing up my groups RPG sessions but i will not clutter this thread with shameless advertising
But anyway keep up the good work

[Kathara_Khan]

Welp, ladies and gentlemen, here it is, finally!
Notice the lack of "(abridged)" tag. This thing ended up long and detailed enough to be a full episode, like we used to have. Don't get used to it. But it may still happen from time to time.
Enjoy the ride!


Avalon Chronicles
entry #23

“Making and Breaking”


Note #1 - A complete list of all the characters appearing in the Avalon Chronicles is available under the link. Beware of spoilers, though, especially if you’re coming in late.

Note #2 - We have official character art for the series, collected for your viewing convenience on the GM’s DeviantART Page. The same spoiler warning as above applies!


Monday, January 20

Thinking of Nyree’s birthday this week, Diego takes a moment to review other closest upcoming birthdays for the team.

The next one will be their honorary member, Mako, on the 6th of February, her 16th. Then there will be two in March, Samantha on the 9th, and Octy on the 18th, both turning seventeen. And on the 20th of April, Yuni will celebrate her 30th! Now that’ll be a momentous occasion!…

Diego also receives a short message from Merlin, informing that the two recon drones, complete with software, should be arriving next Monday. That won’t be much time for the girls to practice working with them live before the Crimson Gale match, but Diablo is already supplementing their “homework” simulations with drone companions. And, well, at worst the drones will be quick casualties in the game, while they may still come in handy. Call the match more practice, is all.

Time for the standard Monday live training!

As promised by Eric and his crew, all the team’s TAGs have now been upgraded - software and hardware aimed at increasing their accuracy and gun handling, except for the Iguana, which got an improved Command & Communications package.

With his time now free except for standard maintenance, Chief Wana can start work on prototyping the one-shot smoke grenade launchers they had an idea for some time ago.

The upgrades to the machines also include some cosmetic stuff this time. It’s mostly through Dominique’s work, the girl wanting to offer her friends some personalization to their machines.

To that end, Octavia’s Lizard now sports a new head, with a new optics configuration - the six eyes in three vertically stacked pairs, Nysse-helmet-style, that became somewhat of a trademark for the cellist’s more bold persona.
Patty’s Szalamandra gets a head with a single, wide-angle visor and bulky comm and rangefinder fittings on the sides, so it now looks somewhat like it’s wearing big, high-tech shades and headphones.
Morgan’s Lizard is another new head, this one modified purely for looks, with thick cable strands trailing from it’s metal scalp, quite cunningly simulating the dark girl’s own dreadlocks!
Minuette’s Gecko’s customization is, alas, purely an AG projection, the team not owning the parts or having the money for the extensive refit it would require in real life (it’s normally part of the Praxis high-mobility package, which is usually not applied to Geckos anyway), but the hyper girl is still overjoyed with it - it’s a fully mobile, lizard-like tail! Minnie expresses her happiness by wagging it energetically.
The rest get only minor cosmetic paint and/or AG details, usually connected to their new callsigns - now with logos incorporated into the team “parade” colors - but they do not mind. Eva’s Iguana for example now has a small AG crown floating over it’s head, Alex’ Anaconda’s breastplate now sports the Spitfire-like tiger-teeth decal, while Nyree’s Lizard’s chest, shoulders, and upper arms feature some vaguely tribal, spiral designs. The only machine ‘Nique seems to have neglected is her own… She’s quite embarrassed when called on it.

Today, it’s decided to try Samantha, who is proving to be quite a good shot, in the sniper role, going out in Patty’s heavy sniper/autocannon Szalamandra. Patty has no problem with riding the practice out through simulated presence.

Once again her performance seems to confirm that Sam is really destined for a medium, line machine, the Szalamandra’s mass and somewhat ponderous, slow reactions not entirely agreeing with the girl. Though she does better in it than she did when they tried her in the Gecko, which caused her much bigger problems with its speed and twitch reflexes. Still, a Lizard, Anaconda, Iguana, or similar class of TAG looks like the best choice for Miss Silva. The Szalamandra’s gun on the other hand, Samantha handles quite well, though it’s also obvious she’d do better with something lighter. Hmm… It could be a good idea to look into getting Sam a proper standard TAG sniper rifle that could be used to re-arm any machine she’d be called to use in her capacity as reserve player (barring the Gecko, which can’t handle a weapon that big...). It’s not in the budget for now, alas, but they will be able to afford it much sooner than they will a whole TAG for her...
For now, Diego resolves to make such armament Silva’s loadout in simulations.

Mindful of the Angels having trouble inflicting casualties on opponents, Diablo has been working the girls on their accuracy and attack focus. And, together with the new upgrades, it seems to be working well, at least in training.

Training aside, the main topic of conversation is Nyree’s birthday on Wednesday. All the Angels are, of course, invited to the party, as well as Coach Diablo and Miss Iskandar (Eric and his crew as well, though they’ll be hard to dislodge from the workshop, as per usual...). Well, other than Nyree’s parents and siblings, they will pretty much BE the party - before joining up, Rikoriko did not develop any really meaningful friendships with classmates, factors of her own academic focus, family trouble, and yes, Alex’ bullying, all playing a role in that regrettable development. But thanks to the team, that has now changed!

Nyree also warns them firmly, that she does not expect any presents. Them coming will be gift enough. Though it doesn’t seem like the girls intend to follow that particular request.

And then, Alex approaches Nyree. There’s obviously something on her mind. In fact, Narahari looks downright nervous.
“ - Hm, wouldn't you rather handle this privately? We could leave...” offers Eva diplomatically.
“ - Thanks, Princess, but no.” Alex shakes her head decisively. “ - I think it’s better to do this in the open, really. Right… Nyree? There’s something I’d like to say… That I really should have long ago. And, well, practicing on others went… So-so, thus far…”
Alex fidgets awkwardly, while Nyree, curious, waits patiently, with an encouraging smile.
“ - I know… That a single word can’t undo it all… But it is really high time for you to hear it from me. What you’ll do with it is up to you… So…” Alex swallows nervously, then looks Nyree in the eye with a solemn expression. “ - Nyree… I’m… Sorry. For everything. All that I’ve done to you. Really sorry. And… And that’s all, really. I can’t offer you anything more, I’m afraid… Except a sincere apology. I’m sorry.”
Nyree returns Alex’ look, equally solemnly, silent for several long seconds. “ - I’ll be honest, Alex. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to really forget all that happened. All that you’ve done.” she states seriously. Alex visibly shrinks a bit, glum, but nods in sad understanding and acceptance. “ - But…” Nyree continues, a small, tender smile forming on her face, “ - But now, today, especially after the last few weeks? I think… No, I’m sure! That, though I may not be able to forget... I can, and WILL… Forgive you.” Nyree reaches over to gently squeeze Alex’ hand. “ - I forgive you, Alex. So yes, apology accepted. ...Just don’t let it happen again!” the Maori bookworm warns, smile turning impish.
Alex chuckles, happy relief lighting up her face. “ - Yeah, I think I can promise you that! So...” she hedges with a tiny joking smirk of her own, “ - I’m guessing I’m invited to the party too?...”
“ - Just you try not to show up!” Nyree protests, mock-dangerously. Then she turns gentle again. “ - One more thing. I think it’s time for it as well. Alex… If you want to? You may call me ‘Ree?” she offers with an inviting smile.
Alex actually beams at that, obviously really touched now. “ - Yeah… I think I’d like that… Ree.”

Minnie can no longer contain herself, cooing in delighted happiness and rushing in to envelop Alex and Nyree in a huge hug!

All the others are obviously happy with this development as well.
Eva especially seems to be rather moved, though she tries to hide it behind her usual cloak of dignity. This probably gives her hope for, perhaps, one day being able to patch things up with Tiana?...
Morgan, passing by, gives Alex an approving clap on the shoulder.

When everyone is leaving for home or other destinations later, Diego prepares to give Alex a ride to Silva’s for another shift, which she takes almost every day now. But Alex first asks Evangeline for a moment, aside.
“ - Be right with you, Coach!”
“ - Let me guess, gonna ask Eva for another favor? About Nyree’s birthday present?”
“ - Ah, well, yeah, a favor, but not for that, actually…” she’s somewhat embarrassed again.
“ - Good, ‘cause concerning the present? I’ve got an idea.” Diego declares.
“ - Oh? Great! We’ll have to discuss it, then!... Right, Princess, if you would?...”

The girls move a bit away, but not far enough, and they don’t actually make it so strictly secret, that Diego doesn’t catch the gist of it.
“ - …So you see, I’ve left IT home… And then, well, you know…” Alex confesses sheepishly.
“ - Ah. Shame.” Eva tutts, disapproving, though definitely not of Alex. “ - Still, that gives us an opportunity to do it better this time!...” Miss Neve sighs, a bit embarrassed herself. “ - Last time, I confess, was more of me allowing myself a smidge of a joke at your expanse… Not that it didn’t work out quite well, still! But this time, I’ll take it seriously!” she declares firmly.
“ - Don’t know whether to be hopeful or scared…” mutters Alex, smirking. Then shifts awkwardly again. “ - What about, um, you know… Makeup, and stuff?...”
“ - No worries! We’ll take care of everything! Tomorrow, after classes, you’re coming with me! We’re gonna tackle the matter of your image and presence with all due gravitas! I like to think I have a discerning eye and a deft hand in such matters myself, and if need be? I’ll call in one or more of my private expert staff!...” Evangeline is actually rather excited now!
“ - Alright, Princess. I’ll trust you on this…”
Wonder what she’ll have Alex wear this time?...

As they’re driving to Silva’s, Alex inquires about Diego’s idea for ‘Ree’s gift.
Well, since they already established that a live dracomon wouldn’t be a good idea… How about a virtual one? An AG interactive pet, like Diablo’s own little Devil? (Who takes the opportunity to manifest and make faces at the idea of anything being equal to his tiny infernal grandeur!) Shouldn’t be difficult to come by one, even on short notice. Such toys don’t seem particularly fashionable in PanOceania these days, but Diego can always ask in the Nomad Trade Mission...

Alex is intrigued and enthusiastic about the idea.


Tuesday, January 21

Linna “Dancer” Yamazaki, the coach of the Crimson Gale, initiates a Maya-mail exchange with Diablo today, to discuss their choice of playing field. As she says, it’s only polite to give the visitors the choice of venue.

Just like the Angels, the Gale of course owns a training/playing ground, with choice of urban, rural, and jungle terrain, depending on what slice of it is delineated as the actual match area (though theirs is bigger). But Dancer offers, should Diablo be interested, to use some of her contacts, to get them a match on the field (one of several) belonging to the local Yu Jing TAG-Soft professionals, one specially constructed and equipped to simulate a spaceship boarding action, complete with areas of reduced gravity!

It’s an intriguing idea, but... The Gale are actually much better equipped and trained to handle such close-quarters fighting, while the indoors terrain would severely hamper the best of the Angels’ advantages, like Nyree’s indirect fire and Patty’s heavy anti-material sniper. Not to mention his girls pretty much lacking any relevant experience. So while he himself is an old hand at such engagements, after consideration Diego ultimately politely declines, asking instead to play on the opponent’s standard outdoors field… Specifically, an all-jungle part. Paradiso’s jungle is another theater he knows all too well (the best place to view it from, in his opinion, being from the window… of an orbiting spacecraft!), and one he feels he can leverage better in this case.

Miss Yamazaki graciously bows to his wish and sends over the appropriate “intel” data on their intended playing field.

As they planned, after school lets out, Alex sets out with Evangeline today, to work on her “image and presence”, apparently…

She’s back much later, carrying a couple shopping bags, and a mixture of embarrassment, excitement, and some discomfort on her face.
“ - The Princess of course insisted on paying for it all. Seeing the state of my finances, I didn’t really have arguments against that. But it still doesn’t sit entirely well with me...” she explains the last one at least. Diego can understand that. And it’s good that she’s not getting used to mooching off of a rich friend.
As to the other emotions? “ - Well, I’ll show you, Coach, see what you think…”

Alex spends several long minutes in her room, getting changed, and emerges dressed in the new ensemble, that Eva put together for her.
“ - So, what do you think? Too much?...” she asks with some trepidation, though with a pleased if somewhat shy grin. “ - Does it look ridiculous? The last time the Princess forced that dress on me, at the New Year’s party, was the first time I wore one since I was, like, ten years old… And this is the second!”

The main element is indeed a dress again, a half-thigh, wide pleated number in a dark plum color with white trim, with a quite daring neckline. It’s sleeveless, though that’s not obvious, seeing as a stylish, midriff-length black suede jacket with full sleeves and a wide open collar serves as the top. The outfit is filled out with a black beret, choker with gold pendant, two-tone golden yellow decorative belt hanging loosely over her hips at a rakish angle, and black, “wide-eyed” fishnet stockings. Well, and her immortal combat boots. Once again some light makeup adornes Alex’ face, and her hair is brushed much neater than usual. The customary ponytail actually had been exchanged for a thick braid, secured with a small golden bow…


[They say a picture i worth a thousand words... But that was only 130 or so. :smile:]

[Sigh... And of course the shitty forum does not support the bbcode for resizing images, so it ends up huge... Or at least I have no idea how to use it. If anyone knows how to make the image smaller, please let me know.]


It’s certainly different, and Diego pronounces it as such. Not bad, definitely, but seeing her looking like that definitely throws him. Much better color-coordinated than last time... And, yeah, the sharp, bold style, vaguely martial, with definite “bad-girl” elements, was not a bad fit for her. And seeing as, while obviously somewhat worried about others’ opinions, Alex herself seemed to like it? There’s no reason she couldn’t make it work for her!

As the conversation moves on, Alex changing back, Diego proposes an idea - just a suggestion for consideration - on Alex’ further schooling, continuing on what they talked about back then. She obviously likes to and finds satisfaction in cooking, and seems not too shabby at it, if Diego’s own experience with her culinary craft, and Senhor Esteban’s judgement is to be trusted… Perhaps she’d like to consider going in that direction, attending a culinary school of some sort? Food technician, or even restaurant management? Maybe Alex could ask Minnie someday, if the hyper girl’s parents couldn’t let Alex take a peek at how things work behind the scenes in their business?
Hey, it may be the future, but people still need to eat! And despite ALEPH’s attempts to infiltrate that area of life as well, they still prefer food prepared by other people...
Alex definitely considered this an idea to ponder on.

Next, they look into AR pets, looking for a suitable dragon for Nyree. Like Diego expected, there is a modest selection almost readily available. Some of them look quite good for their purposes…

But Alex is being picky. She doesn’t seem entirely satisfied with any of the choices, scrutinizing the virtual beasties, for looks, programmed behaviour, and even technical stats, and finds them all wanting in some way. ‘Ree’s gift need to be perfect!...
“ - Right, Coach, this is all crap… Can we maybe get a ‘Do It Yourself’-kit, or something?” she finally asks.

Diablo does in fact need to reach out to the Nomad Trade Mission for that. They find several there, of several levels of advancement, and Alex almost instantly latches onto the most complex one. An older program, it lets one build their virtual pet from the ground up, starting with composing it’s looks (GM’s Note: probably using and editor similar to the one in the game Spore), and then defining and programming its personality and behavioral patterns (a simplified system, no serious programming skill required, based on preference sliders and building flowcharts from predefined blocks of basic behaviours). Still capable of pretty impressive performance, but requiring much more work than a typical person feels like doing just for a toy… But Alex’ eyes light up with determination.

“ - Oh yes! We’re getting this one! Let me at it, and I’ll make a PROPER dragon!”

Fortunately, it’s not painfully expensive… Alex is still embarrassed, having finally looked at the price, and mumbles about maybe getting one of the ready-made ones instead? It would be cheaper… Diego shrugs it off easily. Splitting the cost between them, it shouldn't be disastrous for their budgets. And it seems really important to her, so he doesn’t mind the money…

Alright! The purchase made, Alex throws herself at creating the perfect dragon! She’s into it to the point of needing to be reminded to eat… And to finally go to bed, it being a normal school day tomorrow! Even if that reminder doesn’t prove too effective…

Next morning, Alex is gonna need a BIG mug of coffee!


Wednesday, January 22

Diego looks into organizing the weekend’s paintball. Sadly, the staff team won’t be able to play this Sunday, some of them otherwise engaged. They COULD assemble on Saturday… But that’s the Angels’ day. Well, Alex may have been joking a bit, but the idea of pitching the girls against their teachers is a tempting one… But who would command them if Diablo led the Anjos?

The team training - it’s the turn for live TAGs again - goes without any major upsets. This time it’s Octavia again, lending her Lizard to Samantha and joining in through simulation.

And in the afternoon, as planned, they all meet again, this time at the Rikoriko residence. A nice, big, modern, two-story affair of a suburban family home, with a big, grassy backyard shaded with a few trees.

And said backyard, seeing the nice weather, is mostly where Nyree’s party is held.

Nyree did insist on it being an informal affair… But Evangeline for one wouldn’t miss an opportunity to dress up! Even if her outfit is definitely on what counts as the casual side for her, closer to her party style that Patty helped develop.

And then there’s of course Alex, who came in the new dress ensemble. That turns a few heads, and, to her relief, not in a bad way at all! Especially Nyree’s, who is reduced to blushing stammering for a few moments, before she can get out a bashful but sincere compliment for the Indian girl, making Alex blush in turn…The other Angels exchange grins behind the pair’s backs.

The party’s an opportunity for Diego to re-acquaint, and the others to finally really meet, Nyree’s mom, the intimidating of build and temperament captain Reweti Rikoriko. Though the woman is making strides to suppress that side of herself and act appropriately motherly. She’ll need to leave tomorrow - she’s being deployed, though luckily this time it’s only a training and evaluation trip where she’ll be playing drill and field instructor, not actual combat. Technically, she should be gone already, but she did pull some strings that her position and distinguished service afford her, to not miss her daughter’s birthday.

They also get to meet Nyree’s dad, one Tamati Rikoriko. A Fusilier officer in Avalon’s corps, he cuts an impressive figure himself, though it pales next to his wife. A calm, quietly good-humored man, he seems content to playing “second-in-command” in the household company (at least now, when his wife is actively working to fix the last of her issues), and being a calming, stabilising influence.

Nyree’s two brothers are there, of course, too. Little, energetic, irreverent Koi is a mostly known quantity… As such, he of course almost instantly latches onto and tries smoothly chatting up Evangeline, causing her the usual mixture of slight embarrassment, perplexity, and fond amusement. Eva muses she really should introduce the little guy to her younger cousin, Bella. That would probably be healthier for the boy... The older Wakaru is a pleasant enough fellow, but he tends to hover, fretting, over his siblings, especially Nyree. Especially when Alex is close…

And there’s one more member of the Rikoriko clan in attendance. Nyree’s grizzled Crockman veteran granddad, Reweti’s father, Wero “Sting” Rikoriko, has also made an appearance! A man in his apparent late 70’s (he was an officer in his 40’s during the EI War), of bald head (mostly just shaved, actually) but sporting a big, bristly moustache, with lined face largely covered in Ta Moko, he’s a remarkably spry and spirited fellow, even taking modern medicine into account.

Introduced to Diablo, Wero scowls fiercely. “ - A Nomad! I know your kind, boy! One big, dirty den of malcontents, terrorists, and perverts!” His tone is properly condemning, but there’s an obvious twinkle in his eye. ” - Why, I know from a good source, if it weren’t for that perverted terrorist boarding group you guys sent to defend the Lazarus, at least two of my good drinking buddies wouldn’t have made it out, having been cooling their heels up there, having the Hospitaliers sew them back together! A damn good piece of perverted terrorism, that action, I must say!” Wero claps Diablo on the back.
“ - Glad to be of service…” Diego smirks. “ - But why ‘perverts’? It was a fully Corregidorran combat group…”
“ - You get most of your field medics from Bakunin still, don’t ya? Most of them have TAILS! Perversion, I tell you!...” Sting thunders, but now with a definite grin hiding beneath the ‘stach.
“ - Heh. Why do I get the feelings you loved pulling some cat tails in your youth?” Diego chuckles.

Of course, they said the magic word. “ - Oh, oh!” Minuette jumps into the conversation excitedly, materialising as if equipped with a TO cammo suite herself. “ - You fought the aliens too, just like the Coach, right, sir?”
“ - Oh yeah, girlie, that I did! Fought and won!” Wero grins.
“ - But some of them had tails too, right?” the hyper girl grins back.
“ - Hmmm, not so much, really, not most… Some of the Shas toads had tentacles, though!” he supplies in a sensational tone.
“ - Tentacles?” Minnie blinks, astounded.
“ - Yup! Slimy, writhing things, on their heads, and some even in their mouths! The Striga would jump you, cram a tongue-tentacle down your throat, and eat your liver right out!” Wero gleefully provides the gristly details. “ - Some would sometimes use the, ahem, back door for that as well!...”
“ - Oooohhh!...” Minnie is clearly deeply disturbed… But also deeply fascinated!

Diego doesn’t know whether to facepalm or burst out laughing. All he knows, he’s definitely not gonna inquire into Minnie and Illia’s sex life (not that he was inclined to do so before, either) after that particular image has been planted in the girl’s head!...

Wero Rikoriko is definitely a highly colorful persona! He likes sharing stories from his younger days, military and not, exaggerating as obviously as entertainingly. But Diego is pretty sure, Wero is largely over-acting. He’s definitely much less uninhibited and careless than he presents himself as, but simply loves playing the “grizzled, slightly crazy veteran grandpa” for his grandkids… And any friends they care to bring over!

And one of Diego’s suspicions gets confirmed, as Wero asks after the success of his “peanut butter recipe”. Samantha goes a bit green, still, remembering that. Minuette on the other hand cheerfully praises its deliciousness!... Oh yeah, it has been successful alright. Diego muses he’ll have to properly teach the other girls how to make it… Good, Wero declares, such valuable knowledge should be passed on to the younger generation!
“ - Lucifer’s beard, Eva, I can just imagine you in a decade, pulling that stunt at a boardroom meeting on some corpo who pised you off!...” Diablo chuckles. The Angels, evan Sam, and Eva herself, have a good laugh at that image!

The party in full swing. There’s - of course! - a birthday cake for ‘Ree, with (real, not AR!) candles, decorated in, what else, violet frosting, Minnie leading everyone in an enthusiastic rendition of “Happy Birthday to You”. There’s other sweets, drinks, games, some dancing, Patty more than happy to play an improvised set in honor of the party girl… And presents!

Despite Nyree’s protestations, all of the Angels have got her something. The most popular and obvious are, no surprise, books! Mostly in electronic format, though Eva wouldn’t be herself if she didn’t go for flashy and expensive, presenting ‘Ree with a physical book, a heavy, handsome, leather-bound tome - of a mythological bestiary! There are also various Maya channel subscriptions, of various educational and information outlets - though one of those, given by Patty with a conspiratorial smile, might actually be an Arachne one, of a decidedly independent (read: “rebel and anti-establishment”) bent… And Minnie, grinning widely, gifts Nyree with an extensive collection of (electronic, again) Yu Jing-Japanese Manga, with plots of an obviously romance-focused nature. Yuri romance, specifically…

Alex dawdles as everyone else takes their turn, nervous and embarrassed. Everyone else got something at least vaguely practical, or at least with an entertainment value of a cerebral nature, while hers is a pure toy. It takes Diego’s and Nyree’s combined urging and reassurance for her to finally dare presenting her offering.

In Alex’ hands rests an Augmented Reality object - an egg, about the size of, but very obviously not a chicken’s. It’s leathery, glossy, colored violet and flecked gold. The others crowd around, intrigued, as Alex transfers it into Nyree’s hands, their comlogs transferring files.

“ - Okay… So, should I sit on it?” Nyree asks with a mischievous smile.
“ - Let us not… Egg-saggerate.” Diego quips.
Alex giggles. “ - Just give it a second of warmth in your hands…”

The egg stirs. Shakes. Cracks. And burst open with a dramatic little cloud of steam. From within unfolds… A dragon! About 20 centimeters long; a western-style imagining of one; deep violet, gold-flecked scales with a metallic sheen (and when observed against the light, it can be seen that the violet is actually two-tone, the creature’s whole body covered with an intricate, almost tribal design of deeper violet swirls and spirals); long, sinuous body with a twisting neck and sneaking tail; a row of spines on its back and horns on its head; narrow muzzle full of gleaming white fangs; gold, reptilian eyes, with a keen, intelligent look in them; strong, clawed limbs; and a pair of leathery wings large enough to be as anatomically correct as a fantasy creature can get. It rears up, wings unfolding, and gives an impressive screech, spitting sparks of brilliant green flame! Then sits in Nyree’s palms, regarding her expectantly. And as the girl leans in, fascinated, for a closer look, it extends its neck and flicks out a forked tongue to give her a quick lick on the nose.

A deep, drawn out “ - Ooooohhh…” of admiration and delight goes through the little crowd. ‘Ree herself is just speechless in enchantment.

The dragon springs up, climbs up Nyree’s arm in a flash, traverses to her other shoulder over the back of her neck, causing the girl to eep and giggle, and climbs over her ear and to the top of her head. There it hunches down, snaps open its wings, and springs into flight! More appreciative noises follow it as it does a few lazy orbits around the yard, finally alighting, with all the dignity it’s tiny body can contain, on Nyree’s shoulder, where it sits proudly, proclaiming its new master and her domain with a loud hiss.

“ - Wow!… It’s… Beautiful!” Nyree declares reverently. “ - Where did you get something like this?”
“ - Aw, you know, the Coach dug it up on the net… It was his idea, anyway...” Alex bashfully dismisses.
“ - I thought of it, yes, and dug up a do-it-yourself AG creature set.” Diego specifies. “ - It was Alex who burned the midnight oil to actually turn it into this little fellow.”
“ - Just arranging some pre-programmed assets, with a bit of customization…” Alex tries to modestly downplay it again. “ - Like playing LEGO…”

“ - It’s damn impressive work!” Patty whistles, trying to pet the dragon and having her fingers playfully snapped at. “ - Could I see the code? Won’t fiddle with it, promise!”
Nyree looks questioningly to Alex, who shrugs equably.

Patty spends a few moments going over the software “guts” of the dragon.
“ - REALLY nice. It may be a building blocks set, but the sheer amount of intricate work it took to get it all composed like that… The pseudo-AI’s behavioral flowcharts are really advanced, you seem to have thought of everything!… And the icon itself! Seems our Alex is really quite artistically talented!” the hacker praises earnestly.
“ - My art grades beg to differ…” Alex chuckles, embarrassed.
“ - Maybe you just didn’t try the right medium yet?” suggests Octavia.

“ - It’s tame… Mostly.” Alex explained. “ - Will need some acclimatization. And it will learn behaviours as you train it. You are its master now. It even has a bit of a protective instinct for you, though it obviously can’t do much…”

“ - It’s wonderful.” Nyree sighs, scritching the beastie under its chin, which makes it emit a contented rumble. “ - I love it! Thank you so much!” Grinning widely and blushing a bit, she steps up to give a still bashful but happy Alex a warm hug.

Then Nyree’s grin turns impish, and she repeats the hug on Diego. Seeing as it is partially his gift as well.

Everybody is properly impressed. Koi is almost mesmerized by the virtual creature, enough so to even be distracted from his crush on Evangeline!

Diablo’s little devil manifests too, and stares at the beast. He tries stabbing his pitchfork at the dragon, and gets its tip set on fire for his trouble… The devil instantly tries to use the green flame to light up under his cauldron of tar, and is rewarded with a raging inferno as the tar itself ignites! He stares, impressed, then cackles gleefully, giving the dragon a little bow, like one professional acknowledging another.

Just for kicks, Diablo does mention to Reweti that their first thought was getting Nyree a real dracomon. Her half-horrified, half-incensed face at the thought (that makes both her husband and father chuckle) fully justifies his earlier reservations about this idea.

“ - Well, what do ya know.” Wero, much more serious among just the adults, comments quietly to Diego, observing the kids having fun. “ - Things look to have changed significantly since the last time I visited.” He’s specifically eyeing Alex, and how close she seems with Nyree, both as friends, and in proximity… “ - Not proud of such thoughts, but was a time, I was seriously considering maybe one beautiful day finding that girl and shoving a bayonet under her rib…”
“ - Can’t say I blame you.” Diego nods seriously.
“ - Well, glad I didn’t. Of course, not everyone is as eager to accept Narahari’s change of heart…” and now he’s looking at Wakaru, standing a bit apart, and giving Alex’ back a cold, hard stare (Koi for his part seems to have by now fully embraced the reformed Alex as his big sister’s, and even his own, friend, the two as gleefully as good-naturedly trash-talking each other over a game).
“ - Again, can’t say I blame him.” Diego shrugs. “ - Let’s give him time.”
“ - True. San Pietro wasn’t built in a day, and all. Just hope he won’t do something stupid…”
“ - I think if he was inclined to do so, he’d have already done it…”
“ - Well, not violent-stupid, like my own past musings. Among my three grandkids, he’s least the type, actually… But at their age, a few poorly chosen, strong words still hold a lot of power to hurt… And if he got the well-meaning but ill-conceived idea of trying to keep those two apart? There could be a lot of tears.” grandfather Rikoriko sighs. “ - Like you say, can’t really blame the boy. Narahari’s transformation is quite dramatic. Don’t know the details, of course, but… Those two? The look in their eyes? I’ve seen the like, and I’m sure you’ve too. Like veterans of the same campaign, wouldn’t you say?”
“ - There’s definitely something to that, yes.” Diego agrees solemnly.
“ - Can’t say I’ve been particularly proud of my own efforts as parent, for little Reweti to end up like she did… Fortunately, as close a shave as it was, it all seems to have ended well.”

Wero next takes interest in the simulation wargames the team uses for exercise - and sometimes just fun, like now, when they roll it out as another round of party entertainment. His experience and perspective could make for some interesting scenarios (“ - There’s nothing that cures constipation quite as quickly as a Sphinx uncloaking behind your back!”). And when both Nyree’s parents are drawn into planning the scenario and commanding the op-for, things get really creatively hairy for the Angels!...

Koi and Wakaru, and Yuni as well, eagerly join in on the girls’ side. Diego gets to personally observe the two Rikoriko brothers in simulated combat, and confirm what he’s heard from Alex before: little Koi seems really quite talented as a (simulated, at least) TAG pilot… While Wakaru is really quite hopeless!

In the evening, the party winds down and the guests slowly leave, with one last round of best wishes for the birthday girl. ‘Ree gives everyone a hug goodbye… Though the one Alex receives is definitely longer and warmer (with Wakaru still glaring in the near background)...

“ - That went well, Coach, no?” Alex smiles happily on their way home.
“ - Quite. Do try not to get on Nyree’s big brother’s bad side, though, just in case.” Diego warns.
“ - Heh. I’m afraid me approaching ‘Ree closer than ten meters or so is already doing that…” Alex muses wryly. ” - But I’ll try not to antagonize him intentionally.” she promises.


Thursday, January 23 - Friday, January 24

Diego gets a surprise call - from principal Chennault! Turns out, she has heard about his little problem, lacking a force commander for the staff them to take on the Angles… And she volunteers! Well now, this should be interesting! Diego is happy to accept.

She’s been retired for a long time now, much longer than Diego himself, so she warns him not to be too disappointed if she turns out too rusty to be quite impressive in the role. But some things are hard to forget, and she does know her people well, if not quite in this context…

Ginevra expresses some regret about not being able to participate more fully, but her job keeps her rather too busy, and, well, the years are slowly catching up to her.

Still, she should be good for one go! Though she’ll command from entirely behind lines, not joining them all at the field, instead connecting through Maya… Partially, it’s probably about not wanting to make things too formal and awkward, especially for the kids, with her presence on the weekend.

Diego contacts Bolo as well. The primary focus of the meeting must, as always, be the Angels, they need the training. So they’ll do just one match with the teachers, and resume their normal routine then. The Spiders will be more than happy to spectate that one match, though!


Saturday, January 25

Both teams assemble by the hangar. With that many people to transport, today they’ll need to use both trucks! The Angels go by their Monster, while the staff use the other, still unnamed hauler. The sight of two of the huge vehicles rolling by this time does no doubt cause some consternation in people used to seeing the Angels driving to their paintball practice every Saturday!

At the field, everyone is greeted by Bolo’s Barkin’ Spiders, making for a big, cheerful gathering.

Time for the students to test their mettle against the teachers (plus bedel, nurse, and school AI-aspect!), commanded, as promised, remotely by the principal.

The principal decides to make Yuni her field commander. Makes sense - Miss Iskandar’s intimate knowledge of the girls’ and Diego’s capabilities and tactical preferences should prove a valuable asset.

Some opponents square off in joking “nemesis” fashion: Morgan and Nyree against Gerhard, Octavia against Felipe with very different instruments than usual, Patty eager to see what DeeDee can do, Alex and Ken mock-glaring at each other, Minnie and Yuni sharing a friendly competitive grin, Evangeline nodding coolly at Helga, while Dominique shakes Maximilian’s hand in joking solemnity. The only ones without an immediate opponent are Samantha and Isabell, both observing the going-ons with some amusement.

Alright! The match begins! The Spiders make sure to cheer on both teams equally.

It quickly becomes apparent that this battle will be much different than usual for the Angels. In fact, it’s almost the exact opposite of what often happens during their paintball skirmishes! Typically, Diego dominates the far less experienced amateur opponent commanders tactically, but the girls in their own relative inexperience often struggle to make full use of that, pitted against better combatants. But this time, Diablo goes against principal Chennault… And gets to feel a bit of what it’s usually like for Bolo to stand against him! Looks like Ginevra’s protestations of rustiness may have been a ruse! Or at least severely overstated. The retired officer turns out to still be a hell of a tactician and commander. She doesn't quite run rings around him, but she is making Diablo seriously sweat! Her troops, however, experience lots of trouble, running up against the Angels’ better teamwork and battle experience.

The Angels open with an ambush attempt, and though the cautiously advancing staff avoid the worst of it, they still suffer the first casualty of the game, Helga gunned down by Octy.
The next clash had Diego direct the Angels into a hit-and-run maneuver, but the staff keeps up their steady, well-covered advance, and actually manage to inflict a casualty of their own. ‘Nique goes down to Max’ fire. This however will be the last time the grown-ups manage to score a kill…
In rapid succession, Diego orders an all-out attack, that the opponent endures through digging in into a well-executed all-out defence, then another hit-and-run, with Ginevra’s team evading and attempting a flanking maneuver. Lots of fire is exchanged, but no casualties fall on either side.
Another ambush attempt by the Angels almost goes disastrously wrong, as the principal directs her troops into their own hit-and-run attack… But in the end, it is the girls who emerge victorious, Samantha claiming a kill on Max!
Another close call follows, Diablo’s attempt at a new all-out assault falling into the staff’s ambush, but the Angels scrape by, escaping with no losses.
The tables turn rapidly then, the emboldened staff going into their own all-out attack… Only to fall into the Angels’ ambush in turn! And the Angels do better, Octavia taking down Felipe!
Things wrap up relatively quickly then, a series of relentless hit and run strikes by the girls overpowering the staff’s attempts to dig in and then flank, Sam taking out Gerhard, Alex downing Ken, Octy claiming her third kill, on DeeDee, Patty sniping Yuni, and finally Nyree nailing Isabel with a counter-sniper grenade lob (spotted for by Minnie).

The “old guard” definitely didn’t sell their skins lightly, the match long and hard thought, but the Angels are the very clear winners!

Of the girls, the standouts today are Octy, of course, back on form, Sam, doing very well all around, and Minnie, who did not score any frags, but was a marvel of a harassing skirmisher nonetheless.
Of the staff, DeeDee did much better today than last time, with still no kills to her name, but her suppression fire saving the team’s bacon a few times, and Yuni really milked every last drop of her knowledge of the opponents for last-second saves.

That was fun! They’d definitely need to do it again sometime.

They play a few matches more, Angels going against the Spiders, most of the staff sticking around to spectate and cheer (the principal says goodbye and disconnects, not to cramp their style). They end the day with the traditional campfire picnic, a larger but just as congenial a gathering than usual (though with the girls present, they again can’t bust out the beer, like last Sunday).


Sunday, January 26

Sunday being otherwise free, Diego and Yuni do in their customary motorcycle trip out of town, for a pleasant ride and a spot of outdoors athletics, like running, climbing, jumping, swimming… And maybe even some other fun activities, of the ostensibly horizontal nature, though the two of them have no trouble making it vertical as well! Yuni knows one or two cozy little nooks where they can delight in such while outdoors, without the worry of being caught…

As they are driving back into Belo Horizonte in the late afternoon, they come upon a little spot of excitement, as they hear police sirens in the distance. Their comlogs provide the appropriate local Maya news-channel coverage, to reveal a highway chase in progress not too far from them!

Traffic cops, represented mostly by ground and some aerial drones, are in hot pursuit of a biker - a mostly black-clad, most probably female lawbreaker, on a mostly black racing motorcycle of some description… The camera footage of the fugitive isn’t of the greatest quality, with the speed and distance they are managing to maintain on the chasers, but the brief flash of worry Diego experienced is quickly put to rest, as he’s rather sure the rider’s outfit does not feature a skirt, nor pink accents, and both her and her steed are rather obviously too large for it to be Octavia Moina.

All of the delinquent’s personal and vehicle ID tags are not only switched to private mode, but outright hacked to ignore lawful police queries, which should bring them up anyway. And they have some illegal stealth soft running besides, other attempts at identification, like rider biometric and vehicle silhouette matches, also sliding off or throwing up errors. This of course adds several more obstruction and resisting charges to their already impressive record of offenses, all of those centered on blatant disregard for traffic laws.

And before Diego’s and Yuni’s eyes on live coverage, the lawbreaker gives the cops a slip! And with a truly daredevil maneuver too, a hair-raising bootlegger’s turn-like skid to reverse direction almost instantly, and slip right through the middle of the stunned pursuers to speed off down the highway’s exit ramp! The chasers fail to deal with it, tires squealing and composites screaming and cracking as several of the drones crash spectacularly, their operators and expert systems startled violently into disastrous skids (fortunately, the one car with a human crew just spins out across the open road and comes to a halt safely).

By the time most of the pursuit can recover, their quarry loses the aerial drones, meandering lightning quick to disappear in the tangle of suburban streets, their masking software no doubt spoofing city surveillance.

Yuni whistles, impressed.
“ - Not one of ours, fortunately, I don’t think.” Diego states with some relief.
“ - Well, if I didn’t know better, you mentioning she wasn’t too impressed by motorcycles, I could have thought you managed to be a bad influence on Alex, introducing them to her...” Yuni jokes.

A few minutes later, as they are waiting at a red light, they hear a deep basso rumble of a powerful engine behind them. On the opposite side of Diego to Yuni, a new rider rolls up - a slender woman in a black skin-suit with sparse red accents, on a concept racing bike (a beast of one, easily matching Yuni’s own, low-slung on “empty”, spokeless wheels) colored to match. A glittering, flowing silver script of AR graffitti blooms into sight on its flank, revealing what is apparently its name: “Nightmare”.

And the back of the rider’s sleek helmet leaves free a flowing mane, a dark, AR-enhanced ethereal storm of hair, like a living piece of a star-studded night sky...

“ - Well, well.” Diego smirks, as the dark rider unseals her helmet, the faceplate sliding back to reveal the grinning visage of Luna Celeste.
“ - Hi-ii!” the heiress sing-songs happily. “ - Diego! Yuni! Nice to see you guys! Out for a little couple cruise?”
“ - Miss Celeste! What an… Intriguing surprise!” Yuni is still at once guarded of and fascinated by the younger woman.
“ - I didn’t know you were a biker, Luna… But I should have suspected such energetic pastimes would be right up your alley.” Diego chuckles.
“ - I do enjoy a good ride now and then.” Luna nods.
“ - You sure did ride real good just now, right over the cops’ asses.” Diablo grins.
“ - Why, Diego, I have absolutely no idea what you mean!” Luna protests with a cutely innocent face, eyes sparkling with mischief.
“ - I’m sure!” Yuni giggles. “ - Family fortune must be an invaluable help in paying traffic tickets, eh?”
“ - I’m sure it will be, if I’m ever tagged with any!” Luna giggles back, smile now properly roguish.

“ - So, how are our dear Anjos?” Celeste asks next. “ - Ready for their next big match?”
“ - I think they’re in good shape. Of course, I wouldn’t quite expect another spectacular miracle like they pulled on the Knights…”
“ - Expect, maybe not, but we can always hope, no? All of us here on Avalon will be cheering for you!” Luna declares, smiling. “ - And how are things, equipment-wise, if I may ask?” she inquired idly, eyes glinting again.
“ - Quite good, thank you.” Diego nods. “ - Especially for the things I’m sure you know absolutely nothing about.” he smirks, giving the rebellious heiress a knowing look, while she pretends really hard that she really doesn’t know what he’s talking about. Yeah, no doubt about it, she’s behind the sweet drone deal. “ - They should come in really handy.”
“ - Glad to hear it! And I of course can’t - shouldn’t, anyway - promise anything…” Luna smirks impishly, “ - But if there’s ever anything specific you might need, I could maybe see what… Someone that I know nothing about… Could do.”
“ - Right now? What we could use most, would be a second Diego.” Yuni chuckles. “ - Our usual op-for commanders are struggling to match his experience…”
“ - You sure you could bare having two of me around, Yuni?” Diablo teases.
“ - Well, if I couldn’t, I could think about sharing then…” she gives Luna a wink, causing the younger woman to laugh delightedly.
“ - Well, the only option that would be both legal and affordable that I can think of for something at all close to that... Would be a command-assistance expert soft.” Luna muses. “ - Won’t replace a human officer, but could help a less experienced one close the gap somewhat to someone like Coach Diablo… Who knows? Maybe someone could arrange something for you.” that cute, innocent face again. “ - Surely not me, though. I’m just a silly girl from a rich family, after all, wasting all my time on expensive foolishness…”

Speaking of expensive foolishness, they can now hear a police siren somewhere behind them. It’s not close yet, but getting closer… Luna quickly checks something on her comlog.
“ - Gotta run?” Diego smirks.
“ - Yeah, unfortunately. You know how it is. Paparazzi and stuff… Who’d have thought, an Oxyd reporter could have better optics and counter-countermeasure software than the police?” Luna shakes her head, exasperated and amused in equal measure. “ - Welp, it’s been fun chatting! Drop by the Blue Moon again soon, eh? Say hi to the girls for me! All the love! See ya!” Her helmet seals again, and with a last little wave, the delinquent heiress guns her crotch rocket and zooms off, tires squealing.

A few seconds later, two flying drones, a police and a private news agency one, whizz by in hot pursuit.

Well. That was interesting!...


Monday, January 27

As promised, a package arrives today for the Anjos de Rocha, just in time for the training. A pretty big package, or two packages, actually. Ken oversees the delivery personally, as is often the case, curious to see what new destructive toy the team got themselves this time!

Well, per agreement, the transport crates contain two ready to go Haqqislamite Murafeq-class remotes, in Rafiq scouting config. Or at least what started out as them…

A secure Maya file transfer accompanies the physical delivery, containing all the necessary technical documentation, authorization codes, and certificates. And as Diego pursues the manuals, and DeeDee is authorized to bring the drones online, coaxing them out of their packing bays (rather comically treating the chirping, chicken-legged machines like young, anxious birds), everyone crowding to get a look, it becomes clear that Merlin’s mention of the previous owners being a bit of tinkerers was kinda understated.

Each of the two machines looks a bit like a drunk Kum rider, speeding along on a Diriath Armale gyrocycle, crashed disastrously into a Rafiq remote, and the mechanic that got handed the wrecks was equally drunk and unable to sort the parts, so they just put it all together in a single mecha. The results really do resemble a bastard chick of a remote and motorcycle, the Murafeq chassis mated and mutated with a uni-wheeled bike!

“ - Lucifer’s beard,” Diablo shakes his head, “ - If those are really Armale engines and drive trains? Those things should be hideously overpowered!...”

To prove the point, DeeDee, in chibi form, sits atop one of the drones, makes it fold up its legs to rest on the wheel sticking out of its belly (perfect balance, the gyros Diriath-made as well), and roars into a circuit of the hangar, completed in record time, breaking hard, legs sparking on the concrete as they quickly reach down again to keep the machine from flipping ass over teakettle.

“ - Whoah…” the AI aspect gasps.
“ - Can… Can WE ride them?...” asks Octavia shyly, a rare spark in her eye.
“ - Wouldn’t recommend that.” Diego has to shoot the idea down. “ - Sure, their gyros are great, but there’s no proper seat or handholds and legrests, and if you fell off at the speeds those things can reach? Wouldn’t be much left to pick up…”

Eric and ‘Nique eagerly pour over the tech documents. The drones are really a piece of work. The Armale suspension gives them pretty good off-road capability even at speed, and any terrain the motorcycle part can’t handle, the legs usually can. So they have great mobility, and the equipment they carry - sensors with deployable sniffers, forward observer suites with sat-lock capability, and even deactivators - should prove valuable in enhancing the team’s battlefield awareness and control.

Diego considers disarming them completely - their personal-scale rifles and shotguns won’t be much use against TAGs… But Eric argues one cannot underestimate the psychological effect of being shot at, even if the target knows intellectually that the attack can’t really hurt them. And some lucky shots could always disable sensors and equipment, or even inflict mobility damage on enemy machines. It’s not like the remotes really need the weight saving, and the ammo will be cheap, compared to the team’s other weapons. And flash pulse blinding is nothing to sneer at either. So in the end, they decide to only dismantle the drones’ repeater relays, those won’t be of use, with no hacker on the roster.

Eric thinks about maybe having the “biker-chicks”, as the drones seem to become nicknamed quickly, carry the deployable camouflage suites the TAGs got, or maybe even a Blitzen, at least as spare ammo for Minnie, but that would really play against their intended role of fast, expendable scouts and harassers. Now, a set of the one-shot smokescreen generators currently in development would be a better idea. They decide to go for that, once those are ready.

Still, if they could afford to load them up with AP ammo, that could give the drones enough bite for enemy TAGs to really think twice before walking into their line of fire...

Alright, time for the first live training with the remotes. Let’s see how Evangeline handles commanding them.

The answer is, not too bad, with the earlier simulated exercises using REMs definitely helping. Though their unexpected speed and mobility takes some serious getting used to. Eva, and the others too, are also still obviously struggling a bit with getting used to the idea of the drones being completely expendable assets, to use before inevitably losing (and they are expected to be lost fast, with the caliber of weapons usually carried by TAGs, and the remotes’ very limited armor...). If, for example, they fall as casualties in the first minutes of a match while triggering an ambush instead of actual players, then they will have already served their purpose.

Other than the two training sessions they have left until then, Diego will be spending the rest of the week finalizing the arrangements for their trip to Paradiso.
The girls will need official parental permissions, as well as dispensations from the school, seeing as they’ll be absent from Friday’s classes.


[Continued below... ]

[Kathara_Khan]

[Continuing from previous post... ]


Tuesday, January 28

Things have been going pretty well for a while, haven’t they? So it seems it’s high time for a new headache to materialise…

Diego takes a morning shift at Silva’s today, just so as not to lose his touch, when he receives a call. It’s principal Chennault. And her displeased expression (not with Diablo, more with the situation) makes it clear it’s not a social one...

“ - Let me guess, ma’am, Alex was overdue for some trouble?” Diego sighs.
“ - It’s about one of our Angels, and Miss Narahari IS in fact involved, but it’s not her that’s in trouble this time, Coach Ibarrez.”
Diablo raises a surprised eyebrow. “ - Alright, if you didn’t before, now you certainly have my attention!…”

Seems the trouble started with Vaughn’s interview with Alex. The boy’s been hard at work, gathering material and developing the team’s media presence. Diego didn’t actually watch any of the interviews the junior reporter did with the team. His comlog did bookmark them for Diablo, but he declined, not feeling the need or desire to look the girls over their shoulders. All he knew, was that Alex has dallied for some reason, only actually letting Vaughn have the interview last Tuesday (before the shopping trip with Eva, most likely)...

Watching a fragment of the media piece now, Diego guesses he can see why Alex stalled - she was gathering confidence to say what she apparently thought she needed to say. And her Monday talk with Nyree, with the successful apology, gave the former bully what she required. Alex had made some efforts to apologize to her former victims before approaching Rikoriko. But now she used the interview to make the apologies “official” and school-wide!

“ - ...Yeah, one last thing I want to say… I’m sorry. If you’re one of the people who don’t know what I need to say sorry for, well, good. But for all the others, those who do know? I know you may never forgive me, and I won’t blame you one bit. I was a terrible person, and I’ve made mistakes. The team gave me a chance to fix myself. But the things I’ve done to some of you, I might never be able to fix… And an apology is the only thing I can say for myself. So, whether you believe me or not… I’m sorry. And… That’s kinda it. Thanks, Vaughn…”

Well now. That’s another excellent, grown-up step on Alex’ reformation journey.
But, as could be predicted, just like with the personal apologies, not everyone was satisfied with it…

As the principal now explains, one such person was one Joel Vargas, one of Alex’ former targets, of course, a boy one year below her in the Academy. And today, Senhor Vargas finally decided to make his displeasure known to Miss Narahari personally. Blinded by festering hurt and anger, sensing what he believed to be weakness from his once-tormentor (and backed up by a few “buddies” who’s insensitive teasing over being abused by a girl wasn’t exactly healthy for him), the boy decided to extract a spot of “righteous” vengeance on the bully. With his fists.

Was such an extreme action justified? Some would surely argue for a “yes”. And it seemed Alex was actually among them! The surveillance recording Ginevra plays for Diego shows Alex took the punch as her due - not the first one she received in similar circumstances, Diego remembers. Her resolve did seem to waver, as kneeling on the ground, folded over from the fist in the gut, she looked up to see Joel very much resolved to continue, rising his fist again, aiming for her face this time…

But then, some people who very much disagreed with his actions showed up.
A teacher was already racing to the scene, alerted by Miss Alephsdottir… But the first to arrive were Patricia Summers and Octavia Moina!

Patty was obviously going to do something involving Joel’s comlog - she later admitted to hacking hid audio-visual feed and getting ready to hit him with a “flashbang” (far from real paramilitary strength, the technique is usually used as a prank, but can still startle and disorient) to halt his assault...

But Octy was faster! The slight cellist all but teleported the distance between where the two friends arrived and Joel standing over Alex, and seized him roughly by the wrist! This stopped his punch, more with surprise than strength, the boy being of average build, but still larger than the relatively tiny Octy.

And everything might have ended then, with no further trouble, the called staff member just arriving… Except Senhorita Moina didn’t stop there. Instead, she used a clever bit of leverage (thought the move didn’t look practiced to Diego, who hadn’t heard anything about Octy picking up martial arts, more just relying on good instincts and fueled by rage) to brutally twist the boy’s wrist… And dislocate it violently, with an ugly crunch!

This of course put to rest any further violent intentions by Senhor Vargas - he was too busy screaming…

Octavia, her face the steely, merciless one she usually only wears on the battlefield, punctuated the incident by announcing to the crying Joel Vargas (in a voice whose resemblance to a knife would no doubt make Shelke proud), that should he ever dare rise his hand against one of her friends again, he wouldn’t be getting it back again!

So now, it’s an ugly situation all around. All sides have extenuating circumstances working for them, certainly, but disciplinary measures must be taken. Joel Vargas (whose wrist should be fine in a couple days with proper treatment, nurse Talho assures) got his…

“ - …And I needed to levy some against Octavia Moina, which is, again, not something I ever expected to have to do. Saying the last months changed a lot is becoming a cliche by now…” the principal sighs.
“ - What did you decide on, ma’am?”
“ - Well, I needed to be consequent… As such? Miss Moina is suspended from her extracurricular activities, orchestra and TAG-Soft alike, until next Tuesday.”
[i]“ - Chica is inconsolable, I suspect.”
“ - Indeed. It’s highly regrettable, especially as it needs to happen now, with the match coming. But I feel it’s fair, and should be an effective measure.” principal Chennault states with finality. Not that Diego can really argue with her reasoning or judgement.
“ - Welp. Time to test out our rookie reserve player, it looks like. Won’t lie, I’d highly prefer having Octavia in the team for the first away game, but this are the cards I’ve got to play with. Fortunate we have a substitute available…” Diablo sighs.

At least, the principal adds, Senhor Moina took the news fairly calmly. Probably another strong argument for his “Little Angel” not needing quite as much protection and coddling as he was forcing upon her not so long ago…
Though Diego still wouldn’t be surprised if they found Vargas next week, wearing concrete shoes at the bottom of the Belo Horizonte bay, on sheer principle!


Wednesday, January 29

The team meets for their last practice before the match.

Octavia can’t participate, but she drops by for a moment, coming in early with Patricia. She’s obviously sad and unhappy, with the world… And herself.

“ - I’m sorry, Coach. I got… Carried away.” Octy hangs her head, ashamed.
“ - I saw, Chica.” Diablo nods.
Patty pats Octy on the shoulder smiling. “ - Carried away, my ass! That was serious restraint! Guy is lucky you’re not a bit larger!...” she teases a bit. “ - I bet your dad was proud!”
“ - Yeah, I was going to say, judging by your face? What you really wanted to do, was rip his arm off and shove it where the sun don’t shine, deep enough for him to fondle his tonsils…” Diego chuckles.
Octavia blushes hard… But does not protest. “ - I blew it…”
“ - Ya blew it, alright.” Alex chimes in. “ - I see no-one ever gave you the advice the Coach and the Principal gave me - wait for them to get the first hit in… Then hit back, good enough so that they won’t get up again! And for gawd’s sake, know where the cameras are!” she smirks. “ - I think I’ll have to give some lessons to all of you…”
“ - Not a bad idea.” Diego agrees, smirking himself. “ - Cold come in handy.”
Evangeline pinches the bridge of her nose, exasperated. “ - I won’t even bother to comment…”
“ - Good. Less talk, more learning the trade.” Diablo grins, making the Princess slump with a long-suffering sigh. “ - And as to Senhor Vargas… Well, I hope the boy has someone… Because with his right hand in a cast for a while? Things could get… Lonely… For him otherwise.”

As the others chuckle, blush, or both, Morgan shakes her head with disapproval, though she can’t entirely resist a tiny smirk. Eva just staunchly pretends she heard nothing.

“ - Seriously though, I’ll have have a word with little Joel…” Diablo muses, not quite kindly.
“ - Um, Coach?…” Alex protests. “ - We kinda know what ‘a word’ from you looks like in such cases… And you know, I don’t exactly blame the guy…”
“ - Alex.” Nyree demands firmly. “ - You have to stop that.”
“ - Wha?...”
“ - We know that you’re sorry, and that you want to change, okay? But you’ve got to stop this kind of… Martyrdom crap.” ‘Ree, face stern with concern, lays a gentle hand on Narahari’s shoulder, making her blush.
“ - Nyree’s got a point. It’s starting to look a bit like masochism by now…” Diego muses. Then grins. “ - But if you really feel like being punished, I’m sure we can find someone willing to give you a lashing, on naked buttocks with a wet leek!...”

THIS particular image garners some amusing reactions, with Alex and Nyree blushing heavily, Octavia following suit, Morgan’s shoulders jumping with miniscule shudders, like she’s restraining giggles, Minnie and Patty not bothering and falling down amids hysterical laughter, ‘Nique blushing and chuckling, Sam not sure what to make of it, and Eva just throwing her hands up and leaving the hangar for a while, refusing to deal with this shit.

“ - Interesting idea… Should I know something about your preferences after all?...” Yuni, likewise chuckling, inquires jokingly.
“ - No, you don’t have to make any special purchases at the grocers today, but thank you.” Diego grins.
“ - I don’t know… I suddenly feel a craving for a leek salad…” Yuni muses playfully, setting off another round of laughter.

“ - Are we done yet?” inquires Evangeline cautiously, leaning in around the doorframe.
“ - With the topic of vegetables? Yes, for the moment.” Diego reassures.
“ - Good.” Eva deigns to return.

The tension and looming gloom thoroughly broken, Octavia sighs. “ - Still feel bad about having to abandon the team when you need me…”
“ - You didn’t abandon us!” protests Minnie.
“ - Yeah, kinda the opposite, really, no?” muses ‘Nique. “ - You stepped up when a teammate needed help.”
“ - Even if you went a bit overboard.” Patty bumps Octy’s shoulder again.
“ - Yeah, Moina. Thank you.” Alex nods seriously.
Nyree too gives Octy a grateful smile.

“ - And besides, talk like that could make Sam think we don’t want her!” Minnie continues. “ - Whereas nothing could be further from the truth!” she declares brightly, hugging Samantha, who gives a long-suffering sigh at the incessant affection from her least favorite teammate… Though her scowl might not be as hard as it was not long ago. “ - It’s sad that Octy’s not coming with, but now YOU get to play a real match with us for the first time! This is your moment, Sam! Your big debut! You get to show everyone what you can do!” the hyper teen cheers.
“ - Chryse, is that supposed to raise my morale?” Silva grumbles. “ - ‘Cause all it’s doing, is making me even more nervous! I’ve been on the team, what, not quite four weeks now? And I already have to play an official league match?” she shakes her head helplessly.
“ - That’s actually perfectly fitting!” Patricia points out, grinning.
“ - Quite. Pretty much the same thing happened to us.” Eva gives Diablo a bit of a playful glare.
“ - And if a pep-talk isn’t helping, I have other ways!” Minuette grins. “ - Bonbon?” she offers Sam a candy bag. Silva sighs again and takes some.

“ - Well, I’ll be cheering for you.” promises Octavia.
“ - We’re counting on it, chica.” Diablo nods.

Octavia leaves, as she must, and the team proceeds to the training. Because of the match coming up, Diego decides to break their usual rotating exercise schedule, and makes this session a live one again. Samantha goes out in Octavia’s Lizard.

Diablo runs the girls through full team drills against simulated opponents based on the official stats of the Crimson Gale. The Yu Jing teens specialise in mobility, assault, and close range fighting, and are well equipped. And their league table position places them as definitely tougher opponents than the Human Revolution were.

The training is a tough one, and the real match is sure to be as well.


Thursday, January 30

The day of the Angels’ first interplanetary trip has come!

From the early morning, Diego, chief Wana, and the tech crew are busy with packing up and transporting the equipment. All eight TAGs, two remotes, and all the necessary supplies are transferred, for the first time, into the truck-towed mobile hangars, and the two monstrous vehicles driven to the starport ahead of time, for loading onto the rented shuttle.

Despite the trip being a short one, just one Circular jump (“clockwise” on the C9 line*), compared to the two they’ll need to get to Bourak to play against the Rahat al-Hulkum, it will actually be more expensive, barely within their travel budget! That’s because they need to move fast, and so can’t use the slower, economy options, like renting a non-atmospheric-only shuttle and getting to orbit and back on the elevators on both ends. At least they’re lucky, in that they can actually catch a Circular exactly when they need it, instead of having to wait a day and miss the date.

After the EI War and the discovery and settling of the two new planets, some of the existing Circular routes were modified to accommodate them (C3 and C5 to include Fenhuang, and C2 and C6 for Avalon), and one whole new route, C9, was created. Nicknamed “The Grand Tour”, C9 connects all the settled systems of the Human Sphere.

The trip will take, from the moment of boarding on Avalon to disembarking on Paradiso - in the Xiangu City starport, in Yu Jing’s Daheng province on the Serpentria continent, where they’re going - just upwards of 24 hours. And about 20 of those hours will be spent in the shuttle, en route from planet to Circular and back. They are scheduled for lift-off at 3 PM, Belo Horizonte time, and will be touching down at Xiangu 12 PM local time on Friday, January 31, with the match scheduled for 3 PM local. Meaning they will probably try to ride out the long day until after the jump (the girls will want to disembark on the Circular and at least hit the duty-free-zone shops, surely!), and use the transfer towards Paradiso for sleep. Fortunately, modern pharmaceutical aids make it relatively easy to beat the jump-lag…

They will make their way back at a just slightly more relaxed pace, boarding in the late afternoon on Saturday, to arrive back on Avalon with some Sunday to spare.

Sadly, the Gale won’t be able to hang out on Saturday, having their own schedule to keep - they’re going on a training field trip for the weekend.

Of course, the students will receive all the school material they’ll miss on Friday via comlog, and Nyree for one will likely insist on reviewing it, quite rightly… But she probably can be persuaded by the others to at least wait until Saturday and the trip back.

The shuttle that will be their primary mode of transport and habitation doesn’t offer particularly luxurious accommodations, but it’s not quite the cramped XXI-century airline economy class either, with a 20-person main sitting compartment comparable to the school’s activities busses, actually, plus 4-person sleeping cabins with bunk beds. Plus kitchenette and bathroom, of course.

The Angels gather at the hangar after classes are over, their luggage dropped off there in the morning (except for Evangeline’s of course, Roger brings that over with the limousine). And mercifully, the Princess limited herself to just a single, if rather large, suitcase… Well, more of a trunk, really…

Everyone: the girls, Diego and Yuni will drive to the starport in one of the Academy’s buses, like they did to the beach (Eric and the three members of the abridged tech crew they’re taking along are already on site, supervising the last loading arrangements and formalities). Joining them will be also Roger and Dorothy. As expected, Eva can’t leave the planet unattended! Whether Shelke will be lurking somewhere as well is hard to tell… Anyway, the Smiths’ presence in the chaperone detachment will likely assuage the apprehension of some of the parents about letting their daughters go on an interplanetary trip “all alone”.

For a few of the Angels, this will be their first time travelling in space! Evangeline, Samantha, Minuette, Nyree, Patty, and Alex all have made trips to other planets before with their families (though the last time was quite a long time ago, for Nyree and Alex). ‘Nique, of course, and Morgan (and the absent Octy, for future reference), on the other hand, have never left Avalon... Well, ‘Nique did make an interplanetary trip with her mom, but she wasn’t born then yet, so it doesn’t quite count.

Regardless, Diego makes sure anti-motion sickness medicine and sick bags are on hand, just in case. With the modern artificial gravity and inertial compensators, they won’t experience any 0-G and the highest G-spikes will be much eased, but better safe than sorry. This will not be a simple bus ride, after all.

Of course, even among those who did travel, not all did ever cross the national and cultural borders of PanOceania, like they will now. Hopefully, the Angels can get along with the Gale kids… Though the REAL heavy culture shock is quite a ways ahead of them. Diego can’t wait to introduce them to the Nomad Motherships. Especially Bakunin where they will surely visit for their rematch with Human Revolution. The Angels handled the Revolution themselves quite well, but that was just a small sample… Diablo grins evilly, thinking he should definitely have someone record Eva’s reactions! And Chryse will probably go spare! Diego seriously considers performing a “pre-emptive strike”, and just buying Minnie a comlog-controlled fasten-on tail prosthetic. Otherwise, the hyper girl may just slip away to a Bouboutique and come back with the real thing!

It’s quite the excited bunch that takes care of the last formalities and baggage stowing and finally boards the shuttle and straps in. Minnie started bouncing in her seat on the bus and is continuing it on the shuttle. Eva tries maintaining the proper, princess-y poise, Sam trying to copy her, but both are obviously excited as well.

Now, all their belongings are secured, everyone is strapped in, and the shuttle is cleared for launch.

The engines roar to life… And the Anjos de Rocha head for the sky, off to a new adventure!...


This concludes entry #23.


The Angels of Stone will return,
In entry #24:
“Konya wa Hurricane!”


Now let's see, how many months it'll be until the next one!...

[Kathara_Khan]

Good news, everyone! (Well, I'm assuming... )

We're slowly gearing up to play the next episode (in two weeks, if all goes well)!
And of course after that, it shouldn't be more than, oh, two months again before the report from it is ready!

In the mean time, have a bit of useless (for now, at least...) fluff / world-building.
The Nomad nation has few enough TAG-Soft teams, that we're actually able to name them all! So here goes:


TAGs of Avalon Data Files:
TAG-Soft Teams of the Nomad Nation

Corregidor
Professional:
- The Blood-Red Raiders
- El Presidium Presidentes
Amateur:
- Team Rocket*
- The Vent Rats

Bakunin
Professional:
- The Praxis Rejects
- Bio-Riot
Amateur:
- Human Revolution
- The Test Tube Babies

Tunguska
Professional:
- The Ghouls**
- Kombinat
Amateur:
- Squadra Nostra
- The Shadowrunners

* Referencing an obscure XX-XXI century video game…
** Loosely referencing the Tunguska data-crypt; One of the few TAG-Soft teams to have a hacker on their roster - two, in fact!

[Kathara_Khan]

She rules and she reigns!



Made for me by the amazing talented Omegalife (warning, gallery with NSFW content!).