First Game

[break_the_nine]

Owwww....

[Well Leos certainly had a rough day. Right now he was being laid up in one of the Unity Group's infirmaries and his AC was... to put it bluntly a complete mess. This of course led to a severe ear bashing from both his operator Lana Nielsen as well as his sponsors. So all in all not a good day.]

Owww- Is... is that a pudding cup? YES! SCORE!I

[Or maybe not. Apparently someone decided pudding was a perfectly acceptable thing to give to recovering pilots on their food trays along with the rest of their meals.]

Mm? Oh hi!

Comments

[tiger_ken]

[Ken won't say it, but he maaaaay have raided a vending machine.]

Had quite a beating out there.

[break_the_nine]

[Nomnomnomnom.]

Mhm... n't th' wrst tho'. -slrpgulp-

First time out on the field, but my training was a lot uglier! I made a lot of sponsor's mechanics cry.

[tiger_ken]

Same for me really. First time I'd even seen a genoace up close... and now its in pieces.

They probably won't spend tonnes of money to repair mine though.

[break_the_nine]

There's always more of them though. I mean I hear they're dirt cheap.

[3xmadder]

[That pudding cup is getting snatched or, if he's already eaten most of it, the convalescent pilot is just going to have another pilot try to grab his ear.]

[break_the_nine]

Wha- HEY! GIVE IT BACK!

[Katina, Leos is just going to flail at you now.]

[3xmadder]

[Nope. Holding it out of his reach.]

I don't know how arena fighters do things, but in the army, getting shot down is not rewarded with pudding cups.

[tiger_ken]

True... They'll probably be replaced by whatever new model comes out. I mean, fifteen years, and they could barely defend us?

...or maybe its just a matter of the pilots. Though if effectiveness comes at the cost of broken bones...

[break_the_nine]

But I'm injuuuuured! I need that pudding to get better! Gimmieeee!

[Damnit! Too far out of reach! BUT! MUST! PERSEVERE!]

I'm only an arena fighter so I can brutally murder the reigning champ!!

[Ahahaha look at him flail- wait WHAT?!]

[break_the_nine]

... Sometimes... skill and strength come from pain. A lot of it.

And how far you're willing to go as well...

[Leos stared down into his pudding blankly.]

So what if you break a few bones... if you've got the strength to save a few more lives, its got to be worth it.... right?

[3xmadder]

And throwing a tantrum like a five year old is helping you do that, right?

[Katina doesn't really care what this guy plans to do on his own time, although as someone who's threatened to murder more people than your average third world dictatorship she might not exactly be able to take the threat seriously.]

[tiger_ken]

And if that strength is only with you for five minutes? How many lives do you save then?

[break_the_nine]

No! I'm going to get stronger! That's why I bothered joining the Raven's Nest! Its why Lana set me up here! So I can learn while I'm fighting alongside the best!

This was my first time fighting and maybe I got my butt kicked... we STILL WON!

[break_the_nine]

As many as you can in five minutes obviously.

[tiger_ken]

I suppose that works.

[Ken gets up, pulling out another pudding in case Leos eats through the first too quickly.]

But we wouldn't have saved that plane in only five minutes.

[3xmadder]

[The pudding cup is lowered slightly.]

Yeah, we did. You even managed to survive throwing yourself at a superior enemy like a moron. Normally it takes years of experience to live through that.

Goals are good. Excuses aren't. Are you gonna keep crying and giving excuses, or are you gonna pretend you're a soldier?

[a_linear_mind]

Come on, I almost took as much damage and I didn't get any pudding.

[He says that, but Willis doesn't look like he has scratch on him.]

[break_the_nine]

[Leos expression suddenly changes. It was like a switch was flipped off. He was going to snatch his pudding back thank YOU very much.]

I'm not going to sit and cry and make excuses...

But I'm not going to be a soldier either.

[His hands tremble.]

Soldiers kill innocent people. I don't. I won't.

Leave me alone...

[break_the_nine]

No... we wouldn't have...

[There was suddenly a calm and serene smile on his face.]

We'd probably saved it in one.

[break_the_nine]

... Well we could share if you get a plate or something. I don't mind half pudding if its friendship pudding.

[3xmadder]

[Katina makes no attempt to get the pudding back. Or argue.]

Yeah, soldiers have done that. Soldiers will probably continue doing that. Not every army does much of a psych screening, and even without the crazies, mistakes happen.

But don't think for a second you're better than us. Not when you're here fighting the same battles.

[She turns and starts walking out of the room.]

Good job not dying, by the way.

[way_of_vengeance]

Someone seems cheerful.

[break_the_nine]

I murdered terrorists and helped save hostages!

I heard one of the mechanics say it'd take days to hose Pale Rider's hand off with all the blood and gore it got on it!

[a_linear_mind]

Heh don't worry about it, it's not my style to share with other guys. I have a reputation to uphold, you know?

[way_of_vengeance]

Then, from your mood...you were absolutely successful? Not a single hostage was harmed, and all the guilty were punished?