A knight's training

[stupidhonor]

[1]
Yes! We are victorious! Truly, the day is ours. I expected not for Earth to carry so many talking beasts, yet here we are.

[Well, someone's happy. Sielje's spirits are high after the Cassowary Emperor has been stopped - for good.]

I suggest we celebrate by trying ourselves. A friendly bout, a training fight. I gladly accept any challenges.

[2]
[A few days later, the Ankaian knight can be found around the simulator area. Apparently she figured out the controls enough to be able to use at least the most basic mobile suit functions - a pretty good time, all things considered. And yet...]

[Even the simplest combat scenarios Sielje tried out always went the same: ignore ranged weaponry or ambushes and rush the enemy into melee. Be suppressed by the foe's superior range. Try to dodge and use terrain for cover, get overwhelmed, explode. Repeat over and over again.]


Why...

Why is it this way?

[She sits in the simulator cockpit, obviously frustrated and tired. The monitors display scenario history, at least a dozen attempts failed.]

[3]


...

[Trying to forget about her fiasco, the knight has chosen several books to distract herself with.]

How large is Australia, anyway?

[The books in question are: a technical manual of some handheld rifle, the original version of an old story she saw the movie adaptation of, a monthly fashion magazine, and a picture storybook about animals.

Regardless of contents, she studies each one carefully, with a concentrated look on her face.]

Comments

[stupidhonor]

If this is your decision, I will honor it. Well then.

[Sielje raises her weapon. That confidence is annoying so she'll try her hardest to show Ashe what she can do!]

Prepare yourself!

[And she lunges forward!]

[booty_chaser]

[And Ashe somersaults back several meters, gaining distance and landing atop a nearby crate as she lets go a volley of stun shots at Sielje.

Clearly this person is no normal human. And that range advantage is going to be a problem!]

[stupidhonor]

How did you...

[Sielje sees the barrage coming - she tumbles to the side! Though the shots still graze her.]

Ghh...!

[How to eliminate the disadvantage of distance?]

[booty_chaser]

[Better think of something fast, though, Sielje, because Ashe keeps shooting intermittently from atop her crate, suppressing you!

Though she doesn't seem to be exactly going full auto or aiming straight for the head. It's more like testing shots. Ashe is also curious as to what Sielje intends to do, and ready to react.]

[stupidhonor]

[Flee behind a crate of her own, for cover!]

[booty_chaser]

[The shots stop. And a moment later, while Sielje is behind her crate and can't see what Ashe is doing, there's a heavy "thump" sound nearby, as if Sielje's opponent had thrown something heavy near her...]

[stupidhonor]

What is this, now?

[Sielje makes a quick strafing dash to investigate the thrown object.]

[booty_chaser]

[As Sielje comes out of the cover, ready to be shot at, she'll find out that the "object"... was Ashe herself, and the thump was a heavy landing. And she is right there on the corner.]

Boo!

[And as Sielje's head comes into view, she beeps the knight's nose with a quick finger before jumping atop said cover crate to gain a small distance in case of retaliatory slashes.

By now, it's probably pretty clear to Sielje that Ashe is one of those people that consider fights an enjoyable activity in and on itself - since this is a practice bout, she's mostly playing. Still, at least now she's way closer!]

1/2

[stupidhonor]

Keh?!

[Forget about counter strikes, Sielje jumps back in surprise, stumbling with her footwork - though at least she manages to prevent an ungraceful fall on her ass...]

I...

2/2

[stupidhonor]

[That thing is abundantly clear. So is the fact that one of the parties here is rather outmatched...]

I have said, do not hold back!

[Getting atop the crate would not be easy and it's a great way to open yourself up for attacks. Yet she charges the container anyway - to tackle it with her body's mass!

It is too heavy to move, but maybe if it can just rattle a little, enough to throw Ashe's balance off...]

[booty_chaser]

Come on, girl, relax, it's a practice fight, the point is having a little fun toge- whoa!

[Yeah, that's a pretty smart move. Still, Ashe reacts pretty well, angling back as she loses balance for an instant in order to end up behind the crate.

So now there's a crate between Sielje and Ashe, and they can't see each other...]

[stupidhonor]

That may be true. However...

[However even if Ashe is obviously playing around, Sielje needs to constantly give her all just to keep up.]

I am coming! Do not lower your guard!

[Giving ample warning, she runs around the crate, and swings her sword - delivering a wide smack with its flat.]

[booty_chaser]

[...which is going to find nothing, as there's a rather conspicuous lack of Ashe, of the kind that, were this an anime, would be remarked upon with a blinking dotted outline and a sound effect.

As the camera pans, turns out this is because as Sielje comes from the right... Ashe is sprinting right the hell away in the other direction, having already gained a pretty good distance again before jumping and spinning on herself to turn around and shoot a barrage of this time rather better aimed shots at Sielje's chest]

[stupidhonor]

Gone?! No... in front!

[Sielje's already moving to sidestep, throwing a shoulder first in a practiced but sadly out of place gesture. Unfortunately, that is not enough, and she gets hit in a non-grazing way, now.]

Ugh!

[Thrown back by the blasts, she slumps down under the chest.]

[booty_chaser]

[Ashe stops her run, lifting her gun to a resting position and looking on concernedly from her position]

Hey! Are you alright?

[stupidhonor]

Y... yes...

[She slowly picks herself back up, looking not happy to say the least.]

[booty_chaser]

[Ashe walks over, holstering her gun]

You know, you really need a way to get close to people faster if you're going to use that sword. Otherwise people are just going to back up and shoot you a lot.
Like you just did.
Like I just did, yeah.
She should get some rocket boots!
Come on, Model A, that's- [she stops, thinking about it] ...actually, that's not a terrible idea. Have you thought of a jetpack or some rocket boots or something? I bet one of the guys could hook you up with something!

[stupidhonor]

I do not know what are these or what do they do...

[They are probably dishonorable though.]

I do not have any excuses. My apologies, that was embarassing.

[booty_chaser]

Oh, right, you're from the crazy knight world. Well, a rocket is basically a thing that shoots fire backwards to push you forward. A jetpack basically lets a person fly real fast for short distances! [Ashe is not the best at explaining science]

And come on! If I'd known you'd take it this badly, I wouldn't have fought you. Seriously, don't feel bad, I'm kind of Legion's best, and you really don't seem used to dealing with guns.
And so modest, too.
Shut up, Model A.

[stupidhonor]

I do not feel bad!

...

Are you not disappointed? I was... not a match at all.

[booty_chaser]

You really have to learn when to be serious and when to relax, lady.

Want to go for a sherbet? My treat!

[stupidhonor]

I am relaxed, am I not?

Sherbet is... a type of food, yes?

[booty_chaser]

Suuuure you are.

And yeah, it's a frozen sweet. Don't worry, you'll like it.

[stupidhonor]

I do not need consolation in face of defeat. However if you offer sweet foods, it would be rude of me to reject your generosity.

[booty_chaser]

Sure, that works. C'mon, I know this great place downtown!

[And Ashe begins running while waving Sielje to keep up]