The Ego and Her Own...

[actuallyselfish]

[1]

[Pre- "Shine-Tommorow, Shine Forever"]

Solaris and the Unity Group is gearing up for a big military op, and things are busy at Saikhama Base. Ammo and repair parts are being shipped in by the bushel, and the air is filled with smoke as mechanics work round-the-clock to overhaul the Mechas in the hanger.

Suddenly, a mat-black shuttle with a ”日“ logo flies into the open hanger bay and lands like a UFO. As the shuttle lands, Dido looks up from her welding job; her eyes widen, and she drops her tools and books it for the nearest exit.

A ramp lowers from the shuttle, guards with sunglasses and turtlenecks file out, and a imperious, well-dressed woman strolls out and sweeps her gaze along the hustle and bustle of the base.

She sniffs in contempt. "So this is the Unity Group: humanity's strongest heroes. But really, can a group devoted to protecting others be said to have true strength?"

[Cut for long, borderline Objectivist speech.]

"I, Alexia Sybil, ask of you all!" She declares, raising her voice to whoever's listening. "In this universe filled with alien empires out to plunder our worlds, what is humanity's truest strength against them? Courage? Compassion? Honor? Cunning?"

She snorts. "No, it is ambition! It is our yearning for power, influence, wealth and achievement! Those with ambition...are true beacons of humanity! Those without ambition...are scum!

A group such as this that defends the earth for the sake of others will surely grow corrupt and weak in the end, and do no better than prop up the scum in their indolence!"

"...therefore, should we not–?"

The classy woman notices you inching away. "Oh!" She exclaims. Dropping her speech mid-sentence, she walks over to you, grabs your hand, and shakes it vigorously.

"You're Dido's friend, right? I've heard so much about you!" She chirps in a bubbly tone. "Do you know if she's around?"

[2]

While Alexia Sybil is chatting with people, two other well-dressed members of the Sybil family slip out of the shuttle and wander through the hanger bay.

One of them is looking at the rows of mechas in their gantries and shaking his head.

"Conventional, conventional...all of these designs are too conventional! Where's the creativity, the daring? As a new form of war machine, mechas need a new warrior aesthetic!"

The other walks up to you and hands you a business card.

"Hello," She says politely. "I represent Sybil and Associates, an interplanetary law firm. Are you in need of representation?"

Ummm....

[3]

Dido burst through the door of the room you are in, slams the door shut, then leans against it in a panic!

"Oh gods, it's them it's them it's them!" She wheezes. Her eyes focus on you. "You!" She wheezes. "Hide me, now!"

Do you help Dido hide?

Comments

1

[empress_without_a_throne]

I'm one of her teammates, yes, though I don't know where she is.

And you might do well to refrain from making such speeches while you're here too. It's the mark of many of our enemies.

Re: 1

[actuallyselfish]

"Says the former Abyss Empress," Alexia Sybil notes with a arched eyebrow. "Alas, the common rabble always accuse great orators of being super-villains." she scowls. "It's such superstitions that keep me from completing my superlaser on Mercury!!"

Her mood brightens. "But enough of that, Mizuki Onodera: how's my sweet Dido doing? I've heard she's been involved in great deeds, but she hasn't contacted me in ages for some reason!"

[empress_without_a_throne]

She's also been rather busy; being a pilot and mechanic both will do that.

Also, I can see why there'd be... differences between you two.

[actuallyselfish]

Alexia raises both eyebrows. "My Dido's...working two jobs at once?" She says disbelievingly.

She claps her hands together. "That's my girl!" She crows proudly. "I knew she wasn't listless scum! She just needed find something she could be passionate about!"

She frowns at Mizuki's comment. "Differences? I'll acknowledge that Dido and I don't always agree... but what do you mean by that, precisely?"

1)

[not_a_prize]

[Peola quickly hid behind her back and flicked off the taser she was trying to ready carefully while Alexia was making her grandiose speech. Sure Dido didn't really say much about her family and the very few hints that were mentioned were tainted with dislike... but could she REALLY get away with tasering the woman without Dido's explicit permission considering that all she was doing was making an annoying speech?]

M...aybe? I'll need to check... she might be out getting parts or something so...

[Peola was quickly going to try call Dido, turning away from Alexia.]

_{Dido. Your mom. Here. Run.}

Re: 1)

[actuallyselfish]

"Don't dilly-dally! Chop-Chop!" Alexia shouts after Peola, waving an old-style checkbook about. "Bring me Dido briskly, and I'll write you a generous sum!"

You quickly spy Dido in the distance, crouching behind a crate like the protagonist of a survival horror game.

"Can't outrun her." She hisses on the phone. "Mom's fast than she looks.You gotta distract her, somehow!."

She pauses. "Also, this is pretty serendipitous, eh? I help you with your mom issues, you help me with mine, y'know?"

[not_a_prize]

[Peola has a small smile on her face at that.]

_{I suppose this is the fated repayment of that. Stay low and try to sneak off.}

[With this the bluenette turns around and shakes her head.]

Terribly sorry, but I'm afraid Dido's a little too busy. Being both a pilot and a technician means she gets dragged all over the place you know?

Besides, with how you plan on paying me if I bring her to you quickly, how do I know you don't mean her some kind of harm? I mean... this is a secure area you know.

[actuallyselfish]

"Thanks a bunch," Dido whispers over the phone. "I'll get you a microbrew later!"



"Harm?" Alexia Sybil repeats incredulously. "I value my daughter too much to bring her harm!" She points a finger at Peola, eyes narrowing. "And who do you think you are, to accuse me of such vile motivations?"

2)

[tillallareone]

[Ratchet seems to take offense at the whole being called a 'War Machine' Mr Sybil. The medic gives you something of an affronted look as he taps a certain symbol on his shoulder. Not the Autobot sigil, but a more familiar red cross.]

That would be under the assumption that I was built for the purpose of combat in the first place and for your information sir I was built long before life had even appeared in this sector of space. I've had quite enough of the 'warrior aesthetic' lying down on a repair berth dying to last more than ten thousand of your lifetimes thank you very much-

[He pauses in his rather irritable reply to regard the lawyer offering him her card.]

That is very thoughtful of you, but the citizens of Autobot city are already represented by a select panel of lawyers chosen from various firms across ESUN territories.

Re: 2)

[actuallyselfish]

"Whoah!" Hyacinth exclaims, jumping back and adjusting his thick-rimmed glasses. "You're...you're one of the Autobots!" He stammers. "I apologize for making light of the experiences you and your allies have endured..."

He clenches his teeth. "But I stand by my words! All these mecha designs are stale retreads of antiquated symbolism! Facsimiles of Samurai Armor, horned helmets, angelic wings, gas masks...if we're to transform mecha machinery, sentient or otherwise, beyond paradigms of war, we need new styles of designs, new forms of artistry!"

He likes to use big words, don't he?



In response to Ratchet's response, Persephone nods sagely. "I see you and your faction have put all your ducks in a row...however, I insist you keep our contact information...for when you need a real law firm."

[tillallareone]

[Clearly, but Ratchet was honestly unimpressed by the man's diction as well as his words.]

And that's all well and good, but sometimes those symbols mean things to people. And Cybertronians don't alter our bodies in that way unless we have no other choice.

And as for you ma'am, I'll keep that in mind. I'll be sure to keep your words in mind.

[Truly both Sybils present have made an impression on the medic, and it wasn't a really favorable one.]

3)

[in_over_his_head]

[Calvin nearly falls off his chair, the match in his hand as he hovered over the mystery rock going into the air and landing on his latest hat. He quickly has to pull it off and stomp it flat to put out the potential fire hazard.]

I don't- what-

[Scared Dame looking to hide. Time for a standard reaction.]

Left side of the room behind the masks, there's a bunch of file cabinets and some tarp. Go.

Re: 3)

[actuallyselfish]

"...You're a life-saver, Calvin!" Dido says, rushing behind the cabinets to hide, picking up a mask from the wall along the way.

Soon after, a lofty-looking woman barges into Calvin's room, accompanied by two muscly security guards.

"I could have sworn I heard Dido's voice here..." She wrinkles her nose at the cluttered state of the room. "What a mess! A cluttered room is surely the sign of a muddled and weak-willed mind."

She notices Calvin. "Er...hello," She says. "I am Alexia Sybil, and I have a question to ask you!"

Ooh boy, you've heard of this Dame. Alexia Sybil. Director of the Phoenicia Consortium. Worth billions. Trying to build a superlaser in orbit around Mercury. And she's now in your office, holding up a picture of Dido.

"Have you seen my daughter around here?" She asks.

[in_over_his_head]

[Calvin's face would be at maximum frown, but he keeps his composure as best as he can. Its hard not to blanch at the sight of a woman who is practically a Bond villain waiting to happen. Still, he looks at the photo thoughtfully.]

Hard to say Mrs Sybil. I'm not sure what any child of yours would be doing in a secure military facility.

[He pauses, acting as if he forgotten something.]

Ah. I'm sorry for my rudeness. Inspector Calvin Eldred Edwards. I'm a member of the Earth Sphere United Nation's Office of Special Investigations.

[Ah... Alexia probably would have heard of this man from her contacts in the Office and people in Romania and Japan. All agree on one common thread of thought. The man being a crackpot.]

2

[herodrawing]

Eh? But Red Five's cool!

[And currently under lockdown, but it's still Izuru's machine!]

It is cool, right?

Re: 2

[actuallyselfish]

"It would have been cool...back in the middle ages!" Hyacinth Sybil declares snidely, squinting at the locked down. "Angelic wing imagery is, like, so passe these days!"

"Still..." He admits. "It has an excellent color scheme. Is that mecha yours?" He asks Izuru.

[herodrawing]

Yeah, it's mine...

What kind of imagery is cool, then?

3

[keep_your_dignity]

[The massive form of Kagura doesn't even look at Dido from the desk she's trying to write a report on, with the usual luck and expenditure of pens.]

FUCK'S SAKE, SYBIL, JUST SIT YOUR ASS DOWN.

Re: 3

[actuallyselfish]

"Yes, ma'am," Dido says on instinct, sitting down on the nearest chair and folding her hands on her lap.

She fidgets. "Permission to ask you for advice, Major?" Dido asks. Without giving you a chance to to respond, word pour out from her lips:

"If your pushy, judgmental, opinionated, and extremely powerful mother came to visit out of the blue, how would you stand up for yourself in a conversation with her?" She asks. "You know, keeping her from verbally walking over you?"

[keep_your_dignity]

I DON'T HAVE A MOTHER, SYBIL.

AS FOR YOURS, REMIND HER THAT SHE'S LESS POWERFUL AND UNTOUCHABLE THAN SHE THINKS SHE IS AND THAT YOU DEPEND LESS ON HER THAN SHE WANTS.

FUCK'S SAKE, SYBIL, YOU'RE A TRAINED SOLDIER. IF YOU'VE SURVIVED ANY OF MY TRAINING COURSES YOU COULD MAKE HER INTO A FUCKING PRETZEL.

1

[stupidhonor]

Ah. No, no I do not know where she is.

Is it really so wrong? To protect the weaker?

Re: 1

[actuallyselfish]

"I will not say that protecting the weak is categorically wrong," Alexia allows. "But protecting others out of a sense of obligation, duty, or justice...that is an unforgivable sin! That is the act of scum!" She declares loudly.

She regards you with suspicion. "Why do you protect the weak?"

[stupidhonor]

[Sielje eyes Dido's mother, looking her up and down.]

My sincere apologies for this.

[She walks forward and with a quick shove, pushes her.]

3

[dolorous_sensei]

Um... So is this where we kiss and pretend to be random lover while whoever chasing you walk pass now?

Re: 3

[actuallyselfish]

"Nope!" Dido exclaims. "This is the party where I shove you out into the hallway, and you flirt with my middle-aged mother while I make my getaway!"

True to her word, Dido pushes Walt out into the hallway...and into the arms of the approaching Alexia Sybil.



"Fudge-skittles!" Alexia exclaims. "Are you alright, young man?"