Changing Tune

[ugyuuya]

[Yuuya stands in his regular uniform on the catwalk looking up at the Shiranui Second with a troubled look on his face. It seems something has him displeased and he's come here to try to puzzle it out.]




It bothers you doesn't it, your low scores on the test missions? [Vincent gives a slight wave as Yuuya is shaken from his reverie.]

I'll be the first to vouch that you're a top-class pilot in an American TSF but if tuned and built the Shiranui Second like that then the Japanese pilots would be having the same problem you are.

American TSFs are built to be straightforward, you tell it to go here and the machine does it, direct action to reaction. A Japanese pilot will use the shape of the frame to his advantage, let the angle of the sensor mast make small course corrections or use the knife sheathe to generate lift and turn a horizontal cut into a diagonal slash.




So that's what she meant by "A horse and it's rider are one". Stupid way to go about saying that.



Oh and might that she be Lt. Takamura? You know if you're so interested in getting to know how to "ride" the Shiranui Second maybe you ought to try your luck with her.

[The venom in Yuuya's comeback leaves most of the hanger staff confused but the ones close enough to have overheard are seen trying to stifle or hide laughter.]

All right, all right, I'm sorry, bad joke. But it's probably time that you opened up your eyes a bit more my friend. Yui and Ken aren't all that different from you, what does that mean for the others?

[With that parting shot Vincent leaves and a particularly pensive Yuuya stands looking up at the unit in front of him.]

Comments

[glorystargo]

Japanese, huh.

Maybe she expected you to figure it out all by yourself.

[ugyuuya]

Oh yes just because I look Japanese I'm going to magically understand how to pilot in an entirely different way quickly enough to meet her accelerated development schedule.

[Something just seems to break and Yuuya's rant comes out more tired than angry.]

Well guess what, I'm not Japanese, I'm American. I've never been to the damned country until earlier today when she dragged me there because I needed to be watched after somebody sucker punched me and started a fight. This is after her first words to me were that I was a disgrace to the Japanese people and I spent most of my day listening to base personnel make snide remarks in a language they thought I didn't understand because I was ordered not to make a scene at the new facility and I didn't want to give the Lt. the satisfaction of being proven right.

[glorystargo]

[Denzel waits until the rant is over.]

Are you done?

I didn't say anything about you. The remark was about Lt Takamura.

[ugyuuya]

[Looking at Denzel Yuuya leans back and sits on the railing to look up at the unit.]

Sorry about that, it just seems that I've been getting an inordinate amount of shit related to my Japanese heritage when all it's ever caused me is trouble. A few of the other Japanese personnel seemed fit to give me crap about not liking that particular portion of my heritage and I've still got the worst headache I've ever had from the beating that Ken with the Solaris team gave me.

Basically this has been a rough set of introductions because everyone seems to think I'm going to think the same way they do because I happen to look like my father and when I don't meet those expectations they think that I'm doing things wrong. Here at Alhambra it's not so bad but at Sakihama it's just uncomfortable for everyone. I didn't particularly appreciate the Lt. for dragging me there and making me stand around while she was in meetings.

You're on the same team as Setsuko right? I met her before the fight in the hanger, she seems nice enough but really skittish though that could be because she caught me in a foul mood and I snapped a bit at her before I was able to calm down enough to keep a civil tone.

Really rather sad how often that's happened the last few days.

[glorystargo]

It's easy to get under your skin, it looks like. All a guy's gotta do is mention your heritage. Some folks will abuse that if they learn of it, so you should work on thickening your skin.

Some folks, but I can't say I expect everyone in Unity Group to be like that. We're all supposed to be on the same side, after all. Me, you, Setsuko, everyone.

[Looks like the old truth holds itself once again. You get a group large enough, there's bound to be tensions.]

[ugyuuya]

It's been a bad week that started before we got here and has had some bad spots since I've been here. I've gotten along well enough with some of the others but there are just a handful which seem to be right in on the same wavelength as Lt. Takamura in jumping down my throat with "helpful" criticisms.

We've been on a bit of a freeze for exercises since the unit's transfer but I doubt the doll would need to go back to Japan if we weren't planning something soon. It'll be a nice chance to put this new theory to the test and prove her wrong.

[glorystargo]

Sounds like a situation where we can help each other.
[Denzel looks sly. Does he have a cunning plan?]

[ugyuuya]

[Yuuya cocks an eyebrow as he looks at Denzel.]

Normally I try to avoid crazier plans and the such but in this instance you have my attention.

[Yuuya straightens and leans forward slightly with a grin on his face.]

[glorystargo]

Wait a sec, let me go get something.

[Denzel walks away, and when he returns...]

Do you see this?

[It's a data disc.]

Mobile suits aren't TSFs, but still. This is the Virgola units' motion data. You see, Virgola is a versatile little thing - it can be easily used by a veteran like me, while someone like Setsuko who is new to this can still move it well, and it'll adjust itself accordingly.

Sounds interesting? This disc has both of us recorded, and there's also Toby as a free extra.

[ugyuuya]

Hmm... TSF's are kind of a wonky blend of Mobile suit and Lion but it's definitely worth a shot and I'll never turn down movement data to review myself, it can be surprisingly useful for the Feedback system and neural controls even if we find the unit can't use it.

[glorystargo]

[Denzel doesn't hand over the disc just yet.]

Great. But did you forget? I said we can help each other. So if you want this, you'll let me borrow motion data of your own. Of how you tried to ride the Japanese stallion, American-style.

[ugyuuya]

[Walking to a console near his unit Yuuya smiles.]

It's a fair trade, and while the doll may be annoyed she was scolding me that I should begin building positive relationships with the members of the Unity Group.

[He pulls a disk from a drawer near the console and inserts it. After a short time the disk is ejected and Yuuya turns with it in hand.]

Should make for some interesting reading, especially the drift training from Yukon, they simulated a BETA hive using JIVES and some local cave structures and the Lt. was pretty surprised when I turned off the pilot safeties to get the unit through the last section.

[glorystargo]

I'd say this counts as a positive relationship.

[Data discs, exchanged.]

Now let's see what wild maverick shanenigans was everyone up to.

[ugyuuya]

No more wild that I'd say you were, I did read the mission logs and I think you may have about done the same.

[glorystargo]

It's like you've been there. Heh heh.

My team can get crazy at times, but I trust them. They're good at what they do.

[ugyuuya]

You say that like there are teams that aren't at least a little crazy, it takes a special kind of person to be a Suit or TSF pilot after all. I mean just look at what the Argos flight's introduction turned into. They're all nuts but I trust them with my life all the same.