>>5492260

“I… I, uh,” Artesia starts to say, breathing heavily as she slows to match your reduced pace, barely getting the words out in a coherent sentence, “...I think things went well. Last night. Mostly.”

“Yeah, mostly.” You agree with a nod before looking over at your sister worriedly, “Are you doing alright?”

“...I can manage.” Artesia says in a determined voice, though you know she’s not used to keeping this kind of pace on a run, her heavy breathing and slowly worsening form communicating more than words ever could.

She’s not unathletic, but you and Casval set a pretty brutal pace in comparison to what she’s used to. Might need to slow that down a little more in the future. Truth be told you’re not doing great yourself, the last two nights have been anything but restful. Getting kidnapped and then living with your sworn enemies doesn’t tend to be great for one’s sleep, and you’re still coming to terms with the fact that your mother is alive let along that you’ll be living with her again soon enough. Besides all of that, you can still feel the faint ache of bruises scattered up and down your body, a souvenir of your brief pod shattering run-in with a mobile suit.

Really it’s a miracle you’re alive at all, all things considered, but you’re hardly out of danger. You’re at the very heart of the Zabi family’s power, the center of Zeon itself, and a single wrong move could dismantle your fragile plan to see their downfall…

There’s a lot to discuss and precious little time to do so. These early morning runs are the closest thing to privacy you’re going to get for months, other than occasional and unreliable flashes of newtype connection.

>”What did you both think of Degwin? He wasn’t quite what I expected.”
>”Kycilia and Gihren both seemed to know a lot more about newtypes than I expected, we need to tread carefully around them…. Especially Kycilia.”
>”So it sounded like we’re going to be stuck with Garma for a while. I don’t remember that much, but he didn’t strike me as being all that bad when we were kids.”
>Write-in

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>>5492261

Voting:
Feel free to vote for several options and list them numerically [1), 2), 3), etc.] in order of your preference. Numerical listing is very important to avoid confusion. If your first choice loses your vote will shift to your second choice, and so on. If you switch preferences before votes are counted, please link back to your original preference vote. If you do not pick multiple options it will be assumed that you only want one. If you list several options without numerical separation I will assume you want to combine them.

Previous Thread
https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive/2022/5414507/

Good to see this thread back.

>>5492261
1)
>”Kycilia and Gihren both seemed to know a lot more about newtypes than I expected, we need to tread carefully around them…. Especially Kycilia.”

2)
>”Kycilia and Gihren both seemed to know a lot more about newtypes than I expected, we need to tread carefully around them…. Especially Kycilia.”
>”So it sounded like we’re going to be stuck with Garma for a while. I don’t remember that much, but he didn’t strike me as being all that bad when we were kids.”

We should at least talk about what happened with us and Kycilia, considering how things went last thread.

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>>5492261
>”Kycilia and Gihren both seemed to know a lot more about newtypes than I expected, we need to tread carefully around them…. Especially Kycilia.”
It's back!

>>5492261
>”Kycilia and Gihren both seemed to know a lot more about newtypes than I expected, we need to tread carefully around them…. Especially Kycilia.”

>>5492261
>>”Kycilia and Gihren both seemed to know a lot more about newtypes than I expected, we need to tread carefully around them…. Especially Kycilia.”
at long last

>>5492261
>”Kycilia and Gihren both seemed to know a lot more about newtypes than I expected, we need to tread carefully around them…. Especially Kycilia.”
>”So it sounded like we’re going to be stuck with Garma for a while. I don’t remember that much, but he didn’t strike me as being all that bad when we were kids.”

>>5492263
You actually came back, Hype as fuck

>>5492261
>”So it sounded like we’re going to be stuck with Garma for a while. I don’t remember that much, but he didn’t strike me as being all that bad when we were kids.”
WB Contolist. Glad to see it.

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>>5492441
+1

HE IS BACK!!!!!
HIS PROMISE DELIVERED!!!!!

It is good to be back.

>>5492265 (second vote Kycilia+Garma)
>>5492274
>>5492302
>>5492409
Kycilia

>>5492441
>>5492466
Kycilia+Garma

>>5492444
Garma

Kycilia wins, starting writing. It'll probably be 5-6 hours before I get the post out, watching movies with my family for most of the evening.

Assuming we live long enough to what should we do about the Dawn Rebellion?

There are pros and cons to letting it happen.
If we let it play out, we might get on Degwin's and Dozle's bad sides since we're supposed to protect Garma from danger (in canon Dozle was able to figure out Char was behind advising Garma to lead the rebellion, he'll definitely find out if we were influencing him). Not only that, if it happens it's a safe way to make sure Dozle gets married to Zenna, and have Mineva as his daughter. It'll also kickstart the OYW, and that'll be fun. But at least we'll know what to expect. Vivima might be too distracted by using mobile suits to pay attention to family matters, and we can have it so either of our siblings push her further into her obsession (hopefully Artesia doesn't try to convince her to stop or something equally as stupid).
On the other hand if we stop it the Federation will probably pour in troops to 'restore order' to Zeon (by shooting protesters, sending in the tanks and taking over the Military Academy). This could potentially be a good opportunity to get rid of some of the Zabis. Kycilia will probably slip away into safety, Vivima I don't know what she'll do, but we can get rid of Dozle and Garma if we want, while Degwin and Gihren are 'maybes.' This is assuming the Zabis don't have a contingency plan and go into bunkers or take a secret escape ship. But instead of that things could simmer down and the Federation might not be incompetent enough to stop this from spiraling out of control (pffft) or Degwin could just deescalate the situation. It might give the Zabis more time to consolidate, allow Vivima to keep bridging the gap between her family, but probably keep us and our siblings out of trouble.

If we want to convince our siblings to go either way, I think we should do something like this:
We convince Casval that starting this will make it harder to kill off the Zabis, that we should establish some more connections and that the chaos the Federation brings could be taken advantage of somehow.
We convince Artesia that doing this is just a preventative measure to stop any massacre from the Federation. To further convince her we could just take her to one of the TVs and let her see the oppression the Federation is doing, and how it will just escalate if we sit idle.

Take everything I say with a grain of salt, it's been a while since I've seen Origins or even the og Gundam series. We should also take note that all of canon can change at a moment's notice, since there's lots of differences in the timeline already.

Thanks for reading my blog.

>>5492633
>since there's lots of difference in the timeline already.
The timeline has been so thoroughly pushed off the rails that I'm really not sure what will or even can happen next regarding canon events. Hell, the real Char is still alive and the Zabi are probably going to be hawking us to make sure we don't start shit.

>>5492643
Yeah, that's pretty much on point.
But the real Char being alive could give us some risky opportunities with Casval faking his death or just switching places for long enough to do something.

>>5492648
>Cas impersonating Char
That's a good chance to fuck around, not sure how often it'd work though unless the real Char gets offed. The moment 'Char' is seen doing something funky is when we get thrown in the space gulag for being counter revolutionaries.

>>5492651
Yep, that's why it's very risky and situational. I honestly don't know how we're going to do anything, since everything we do will be closely monitored by the all of the Zabi factions with the Kycilia Agency keeping the most tabs and doing most things to keep us in line.

>>5492656
Yep. That's why I want to try a plan I remember from last thread. Become a cult of personality within Zeon and form our own loyal Neo Zeon faction early, to both turn it into the functional successor state to the Principality, and to prevent it from turning into Cas's suicide pact during the Second NZ war.

>>5492658
Sounds good, except that we have to contend with the Zabis breathing down our necks.
We have to do things in such a way that by the time the Zabis realize what's going on it'll be too late for them to do anything. I don't think I have to explain why there's so much danger. One wrong decision and it's pretty much over.

>>5492662
>>5492658
Your forgetting key things, We are already the chosen of the Sides by being a TRUE SON of the madlad himself.

And once we get into a Zaku, We're gonna be rolling + our newtype and connection with the Jovin fleet.

>>5492662
>except that we have to contend with the Zabis breathing down our necks.
That's just the reality of the quest until we can kill of Gihren and Kycilia. They'll probably scrounge up any excuse to make us eat shit and then off us for it.
>>5492664
>And connection with the Jovian fleet
Let's hope our friendly jupiter princess can pull a few strings for us. But yeah, if we ever go public we'll probably have some good civilian support on our side.

>>5492664
Jovians aren't bad supporters, but we have to make sure the Zabis don't find out we're trying to get their help. We can't do anything too stupid or reckless with the Zabis watching us.
And once we get into that Mobile Suit we have to make sure our skill are on point so that we can impress the soldiers.
Also we need to learn how to control ourselves. Don't know if I should point it out, but having weaknesses (especially obvious ones like getting drunk or getting strung along by women) will be bad for us when dealing with basically any enemy.

>>5492668
>They'll probably scrounge up any excuse to make us eat shit and then off us for it.
I agree. But there's also Vivima to consider, since what we know now about her implies that she's more on the Kycilia-Gihren side than the Garma-Dozle faction. I'm worried she might try something to protect them.
The road to Neo-Zeon will be hard, but if we're careful enough we could do it.

>>5492672
And all of this isn't mentioning having to balance the unity of our siblings with getting gud. I'm sure that Kycilia has something in store for us, Casval and Artesia if what she said has any value. Let me look for the quote, I think it was while she was boasting about it after she won against our charm.
We also don't want to end up like Vivime and miss out on something as important as meeting our someone important just to practice using a Zaku.

>>5492676
>“We’d hardly even begun, dear brother.” Kycilia responds, giving you one last look, “But you’re right, this is hardly the place to teach such a lesson.”
Found it.

>>5492679
Right, with stuff like that I think she might be actively antagonistic to us. Gihren on the other hand I can see being semi-antagonistic and trying to manipulate us as a potential face for the Principality. He knows the value of a national symbol.

>>5492688
I don't think we should even go as far as to believe Gihren won't eventually try something eventually, but I strongly feel like Kycilia is the one we should take priority in getting out of the picture. She's the one that will try to break our family the most I bet, and that's just being optimistic about it.

>>5492696
Absolutely, Kycilia is the top threat at least for now.

“Kycilia and Gihren both seemed to know a lot more about newtypes than I expected, we need to tread carefully around them…” You say, glancing up toward the imposing silhouette of the mansion once more, glass eyes still peering down upon you, “Especially Kycilia.”

“It was… It was almost like she knew about us.” Artesia says between breaths, brushing a strand of blond hair from her face as she continues running alongside you and Casval.

“About us?” Casval questions, eyes narrowing as he turns his head a bit to look more directly at your sister, “You think she knows we’re newtypes?”

“The way Kycilia kept pressing me, it was like she could read me.” Artesia explains, slowing a little more and speaking more clearly.

“When she was talking about mother I could feel your reactions, Artesia.” You say, thinking back to how your sister’s icy presence flooded the dining room, an almost uncharacteristic feeling you’ve been sensing from her more often in the last few weeks since your new plan was hatched, “...But maybe Kycilia is just good at that kind of thing? She must get lots of practice in her line of work. I couldn’t get much of a read on her.”

“That much was obvious.” Casval says with a dry laugh, “I almost admire the boldness of the effort, but what were you thinking Felix?”

You nearly come to a stop and shrug apologetically, struggling for a moment to find the words to explain your lapse of judgment, “I thought I… that I could throw her off balance, get her to slip up about something. I’ve had a lot of luck with it recently and…”

“It was stupid. Her of all people?” Your sister scolds, her face wrinkling in frustration, “You’re so sharp usually, that wasn’t like you… And she really got to you, didn’t she?”

“...Yeah, she did. Sorry about that. It’s not going to happen again.” You say, rubbing at the back of your head before picking up the pace again, “Kycilia, uh, I don’t quite know how to put it but she-”

“She has the presence of a leader.” Casval replies, his eyes fixed forward on the clean stone path cutting through the grounds and between carefully arranged flowerbeds, “She’s a sly and deceitful witch, but she has charisma - And she’s more experienced than you are. You weren’t ready for that kind of personality, Felix.”

“...Sure, let’s call it that.” You agree quickly, not wanting to linger on her odd magnetism any longer - Maybe your brother is right, but it hardly matters now and you change the subject, “She really seemed to be going after you, Artesia. All that stuff about mothers and being the youngest - Do you think she meant any of it?”

>>5492741

“I don’t think she was lying about her past... But her offer to teach me things? I don’t trust a word she said, I just accepted to play nice for the moment.” Artesia answers, having caught her breath a little but still slow to get her sentences out as the run continues onward through the grounds, “It almost… it almost sounded like she won out in some kind of rivalry with Gihren over newtype research though, she was really gloating, rubbing it in. It was all so cruel, I can’t imagine being like that with either of you.”

“That was the angriest I saw Gihren all night. He wasn’t faking it.” Casval says with absolute certainty, barely phased by the run so far, “It was about a person. A man. I’m unsure of who though.”

“It must be something personal, Kycilia said something about him not being at the dinner because of Gihren.” You comment, the aching bruises running along your chest flaring up a little more, lingering pain from your fight against Blanche’s mobile suit.

“Dinner is… it’s usually just a family thing for them, isn’t it?” Artesia questions slowly, lingering on the words as she considers the idea.

“Mm. Good points.” Casval says to the both of you with an approving nod as he carries on, “Gihren didn’t strike me as the kind of person to bring guests to the table frequently either. It would have something to do with us, or be about family of some kind.”

“Well, it’s a mystery for another time.” You say, thinking through possibilities but keeping the unfinished ideas to yourself for now, “If it can drive a wedge between Kycilia and Gihren it might be something to try and look into more.”

“Agreed, we need every card we can get our hands on.” “Artesia, do you still plan to get close to Vivima?”

“I do, but that really depends on her… and Kycilia.” Artesia “I’ll be careful about all of it. I’m still… still going to the academy, if these… these runs don’t kill me. Stay safe around Gihren, Casval, I heard how you were talking with him.”

“It was just talk.” Casval reassures your sister, "We have to look like we've bought in."

There’s still time to talk about a few more things, but doing anything for too long risks raising questions among the guards... or whoever Kycilia probably has tasked with watching you. Maybe that’s just your old paranoia screaming at you, but a life in hiding will do that to a person.

>”I didn’t get much of a chance to talk with Gihren - Any insights, Casval?” He's the other big threat, and he has a tight leash over the mansion's staff from what Mink has said.
>”...Do you think it was about that boy we saw yesterday? Glemy, I think? Mink mentioned Gihren brought him to the mansion.” Circle back to the previous topic.
>”So it sounded like we’re going to be stuck with Garma for a while. I don’t remember that much, but he didn’t strike me as being all that bad when we were kids.”
>Write-in.

>>5492702
Kycillia is the biggest threat, but also the one we have the least ability to defeat.

Garma and Vivima aren't threats at all (or are low enough to not matter). Degwin is also not much of a threat, honestly.
Dozle is unironically someone we can count as an ally, so long as we don't get on his bad side.
Gihren is a very major threat, but so long as we stay out of his way, he's likely to leave us be.
Kycillia is the only one who we can see who really has it out for us, and has the means to fuck us over, while we have basically nothing other than using Dozle (and likely Garma and Vivi)as a shield. Any move we make against her that isn't meticulously planned out to the smallest detail will inevitably come back to bit us in the ass.

>”I didn’t get much of a chance to talk with Gihren - Any insights, Casval?” He's the other big threat, and he has a tight leash over the mansion's staff from what Mink has said.
>”So it sounded like we’re going to be stuck with Garma for a while. I don’t remember that much, but he didn’t strike me as being all that bad when we were kids.”

We can abduct and groom Glemy later.

>>5492759
>>5492753

Forgot to link my vote.

>>5492753
>”So it sounded like we’re going to be stuck with Garma for a while. I don’t remember that much, but he didn’t strike me as being all that bad when we were kids.”
>>5492759
The Zabi family are a difficult bunch, that's for sure.

>>5492753
>”I didn’t get much of a chance to talk with Gihren - Any insights, Casval?” He's the other big threat, and he has a tight leash over the mansion's staff from what Mink has said.
>”So it sounded like we’re going to be stuck with Garma for a while. I don’t remember that much, but he didn’t strike me as being all that bad when we were kids.”

>>5492753
>”...Do you think it was about that boy we saw yesterday? Glemy, I think? Mink mentioned Gihren brought him to the mansion.” Circle back to the previous topic.

If we get the other two to connect the dots, this could help us in the future (especially if we run into Glemy later on today while continuing our tour of the castle).
But honestly all of these topics are important to talk about, though we can't stay here for long since we might get overheard (which is why I'm just picking one).

>>5492759
Agreed. As of now we can't really do anything about Kycilia, though I'd like to at least have some way to defend ourselves somehow from her plots (I know it's unlikely, unless we make it a point to hang around Garma). Though I wouldn't trust Vivima too much (for now at least), she did almost get assassinated by Jimba and probably had her mind poisoned by Gihren and Kycilia.

>>5492753
>”So it sounded like we’re going to be stuck with Garma for a while. I don’t remember that much, but he didn’t strike me as being all that bad when we were kids.”

>>5492793
Vivi's mind poisoning has probably run too deep for her to be saved at this point, yeah. Shame, too, considering how hard I was pushing her last thread.

Least we've still got Blanche.

>>5492798
>Spoiler
Contolist has spoiled us with good choices. Red headed tomboy childhood friend, green haired ayylmao we newtype pair-bonded with, white haired kuudere onisan. What could possibly be next?

>>5492811
>Onisan
Onesan ffs.

>>5492811
Blanche isn't a kuudere. Her design and adherence to military decorum may show as such, but she's enough of a drunken loser to counteract that.

>>5492759
>>5492793
I'm going to commit to what I said about just choosing one and change my vote to

1)
>”...Do you think it was about that boy we saw yesterday? Glemy, I think? Mink mentioned Gihren brought him to the mansion.” Circle back to the previous topic.

2)
>”I didn’t get much of a chance to talk with Gihren - Any insights, Casval?” He's the other big threat, and he has a tight leash over the mansion's staff from what Mink has said.

3)
>”So it sounded like we’re going to be stuck with Garma for a while. I don’t remember that much, but he didn’t strike me as being all that bad when we were kids.”

>>5492798
I might not have cared much for waifus, but I feel your pain.

>spoiler
heh we sure do.
I wonder what she'll think about us when/if she finds out about what we're doing?

>>5492816
>She's enough of a drunken loser to counteract that.
Fair enough. Seems like she only plays the aloof professional while in uniform unless I'm forgetting something.
>>5492818
>Spoiler
I'm betting 50/50 chance she has an autistic fit of rage and tries to kill us or becomes the proverbial goku to our vegeta and just wants to obsessives fight us.

>>5492818
>spoiler
Blanche strikes me as a "loyal to the man, not the nation"-type. So long as we continue to leave Dozle out of our revenge plan, she'll be chill.

Wishful thinking? Probably. But this is Gundam, anything is possible if we Newtype™ hard enough.

>>5492759
>>5492792
Gihren+Garma

>>5492788
>>5492797
>>5492818 (Third choice)
Garma

Garma wins. I'll start writing in the morning, it might be awhile before I get the post out though (probably no more than ~12 hours from now).

“So it sounded like we’re going to be stuck with Garma for a while.” You say, directing the conversation elsewhere as you continue along on your run, “...I don’t remember that much, but he didn’t strike me as being all that bad when we were kids.”

“They… they can’t all be awful, right?” Artesia asks, “Dozle hasn’t been so bad.”

“It sounded like Dozle and Degwin have doted on Garma too much,” Casval says before glancing to the perimeter fence once more, “And they know it, otherwise Degwin wouldn’t have made the request to help him.”

“It’s a bit odd to ask us to help, don’t you think?” You comment, looking in the opposite direction across the dimly lit grounds and spotting a few gardeners already at work, “When I asked how I could repay him I wasn’t expecting something quite so personal.”

“It’s clearly just a test of our intentions.” Casval states, “Everything is a plot of some kind with them.”

“He might really be trying to make peace, Casval. He seemed so tired and-” Artesia begins to say before being cut off.

“It doesn’t matter if he is. Degwin is responsible for what happened to father and mother, either by act or omission. All of this is on him.” Casval says sternly, a bit of venom filling his voice.

“...I suppose. He did let things stay as they’ve been for years now… Mom’s been in that tower for so long…” Artesia says with a contemplative look, brow furrowed as she continues along beside you.

“So we’re all in on following through with helping out Garma then?” You ask, steering the conversation back to where you intended.

“We don’t have much of a choice.” Casval says, eyes focused forward once more, “It’s in our best interest. The more the other Zabis favor us the more likely we are to be able to make real moves in the future.”

“Good, I was already thinking along those lines, it’s going to be a long game.” You say, glad that you’re still on the same page, “We’ll be fencing in what… a few hours at most? We’ll have a better idea about him soon.”

Artesia lets out a tired little groan, “This… this isn’t going to let up for months, is it?”

“Years.” You answer with a chuckle, though you don’t intend it cruelly, “...Do you need to take a break?”

“We… We don’t have much left.” Artesia says, glancing up to the ever so slightly brightening center axis of the colony, the faintest hints of light beginning to return to it in a process that will ramp up over the next hour and a half, “…I barely got any sleep. I hope you both did better.”

“...I managed to get a few hours.” You answer honestly, already wishing things had been more restful.

“I slept fine.” Casval answers, and you find little reason to doubt his tone, “We’ll get some coffee after this, or tea. We can stop early if you need to.”

>>5493320

“...Thanks, Casval.” Artesia says, gritting her teeth as she picks up her pace to something closer to what the three of you started at earlier, “But I can finish. I have to. This… this isn’t even that bad of a run, really.”

Casval gives her a silent nod and follows along, easily keeping up, and you exchange a knowing glance with him. Artesia is pushing herself, but she’s going to have to if she wants to stand a chance at the military academy. Neither of you are going to let her go too far, but to keep up with the class, most of which will be two years older than her, she’s going to need to push things much further. Being smaller than everyone else during maneuvers isn’t going to be a kind experience, you’d be doing her a disservice to take things too easily. She wouldn’t stand a chance, however determined she might be.

Determination does count for a lot though. Time will tell if she can keep it up.

“...Do… Do you think Garma will be a brat?” Artesia asks, managing to get the question out even at her quickened pace.

“Maybe. Dozle didn’t seem to think so, but he might not be the most reliable source.” You reply, thinking back over what you know, “Mink mentioned he was kind, didn’t she? He can’t be too bad then, even if he does turn out to be a brat.”

“Between Degwin’s request and Mink laughing at the idea of him using the mansion’s gym, and Dozle’s comments about his fencing ability… Well, we’ll see.” Casval says, following Artesia around a small puddle on the stone path, the only blemish on the otherwise tightly managed grounds you’ve encountered all morning.

“You think he’s a bit of a wimp then, Casval? Or just lacking focus?” You question, careful to avoid the small puddle.

“More the latter than the former, but we’ll see.” Your brother answers, “He’s probably been pampered his whole life, but if he was too far gone I doubt Dozle would be as enamored with him as he is, little brother or not.”

“Mm. Fair.” You say, letting the topic pass for now. You’ll all know much more in just a few hours.

>”I didn’t get much of a chance to talk with Gihren last night - Any insights, Casval?”
>”So how about Vivima then? She’s a pilot as well, it sounds like we all might get along, though skipping dinner for more simulator time makes me wonder if she might be a bit too focused on it…”
>You’ve talked enough for now, just finish up the run and avoid raising any suspicions if it turns out there is someone watching you.
>Write-in.

>>5493325
>1.)”So how about Vivima then? She’s a pilot as well, it sounds like we all might get along, though skipping dinner for more simulator time makes me wonder if she might be a bit too focused on it…”
>2.)”I didn’t get much of a chance to talk with Gihren last night - Any insights, Casval?”

>>5493325
>”So how about Vivima then? She’s a pilot as well, it sounds like we all might get along, though skipping dinner for more simulator time makes me wonder if she might be a bit too focused on it…”

>>5493325
1)
>You’ve talked enough for now, just finish up the run and avoid raising any suspicions if it turns out there is someone watching you.
2)
>”I didn’t get much of a chance to talk with Gihren last night - Any insights, Casval?”

>>5493325
1)
>You’ve talked enough for now, just finish up the run and avoid raising any suspicions if it turns out there is someone watching you.
Let's not push it.

2)
>”So how about Vivima then? She’s a pilot as well, it sounds like we all might get along, though skipping dinner for more simulator time makes me wonder if she might be a bit too focused on it…”
This conversation seems innocent enough if overheard.

we're fucking back bros

>>5493325
>You’ve talked enough for now, just finish up the run and avoid raising any suspicions if it turns out there is someone watching you.

>>5493325
>>You’ve talked enough for now, just finish up the run and avoid raising any suspicions if it turns out there is someone watching you.

>>5493395
>>5493381
>>5493338
>>5493336
Writing.

>>5493325
1)
>>5493325
>>”So how about Vivima then? She’s a pilot as well, it sounds like we all might get along, though skipping dinner for more simulator time makes me wonder if she might be a bit too focused on it…”

2)
>>You’ve talked enough for now, just finish up the run and avoid raising any suspicions if it turns out there is someone watching you.

The rest of the run goes by in relative silence, you and your siblings navigating the dark grounds, the looming figure of the Zabi palace a constant reminder of your new place in the world. Soon enough you’re finished up, leaving behind the artificial night sky of the colony, the lights of the distant cityscape on the far side of the colony disappearing as you return to the imposing palace’s interior through the great doors of the main entrance.

The lavish interior of the entrance hall still doesn’t seem right to you, a stark contrast to the cold concrete, glass, and steel of the exterior. You pass by the portraits lining the walls under the great vaulted ceiling, getting another good look at the oil paintings of the Zabi family. Garma and Vivima really do stand out from the others, their purple hair and eyes a constant reminder of their different mother.

“...I expected someone to greet us.” Casval says, looking around the almost empty hallway. There are a pair of guards a ways off, near the doorway to the guard quarters, but otherwise there’s no one to be seen.

“Maybe they’re all busy?” Artesia questions, wiping some of the sweat from her brow, “We can find our own way around.”

“We could always ask one of the guards,” You offer with a shrug, and almost before the words are out of your mouth Casval is already marching off toward the two armed men stationed near the door to the guard quarters.

The guards are young men, both of them wearing well fitted green uniforms, the standard for Zeon’s burgeoning military. Submachine guns hang from slings around their shoulders, and they peer at you from under their helmets.

Just before Casval can speak up you hear the sound of rapid footsteps, a series of hurried clicks and clacks coming from down the hallways - You look over to see Mink hurrying across the wooden floor. Both of the guards stand a little straighter. As she finally reaches the three of you she stops for a moment to catch her breath, cheeks flushed in embarrassment as she curtsies in greeting. There’s a bruise on her lower arm, one of her frilly sleeves exposing it for just a moment.

“My sincerest apologies, I was caught up in other household business.” Mink says after a moment, bowing her head slightly, her violet eyes flashing up to meet yours for a moment, “...I hope my absence has not been bothersome.”

“Not at all.” Artesia says with a smile, “...We were just about to head back up to our rooms to clean up. What kind of work were you doing?”

“Uhm,” Mink’s eyes flash over toward the pair of guards for just a moment, something darkening in her cheery expression, “Might we talk as we walk?”

>>5493438

“Is it really necessary that we’re accompanied?” Casval questions, the question causing Mink to pause for a second or two.

“...I can depart if you’d wish.” Mink offers politely, though Casval shakes his head in response.

“No, that’s not necessary. The protocol for all of this is still new.” Casval says, relaxing as you begin to leave the two guards behind, “We still have a tour to finish, don’t we?”

“We do indeed!” Mink answers, turning quickly to lead the three of you into the depths of the almost labyrinthian palace, “We can get right to that as soon as you’re all ready. You’ll be taking breakfast in your rooms? I’ll make sure it’s waiting for you before you’re finished freshening up.”

You exchange glances with your siblings, no one objecting to the idea. Food and something to drink sounds almost heavenly right now.

“That sounds lovely, Mink. Thank you.“ You answer, eliciting a proud little grin from her. However mixed her feeling about the Zabis might be, Mink does seem to enjoy some parts of her job. …Her personality is still something to get used to though, the staff at the villa never acted quite like this, but the Zabis are a fairly eccentric family in many ways.

“...Do you know when our mother is supposed to arrive?” Artesia asks as you all walk along through the palace and past many, many closed doors.

“I’m happy to report that she’ll be here later today.” Mink says, placing a finely manicured finger to her lips as she ponders the question a little further, “...Or at least that’s the plan I was told last night before retiring. I can fetch updated information along with your breakfast.”

“Thank you. This afternoon then? Oh, that’s fantastic, I was afraid it might take longer than that!” Artesia says excitedly, though concern still tinges her voice, “I’ve been so worried since we saw her yesterday…”

A few minutes later

Back at your connected rooms, you split up from your siblings to freshen up and change. A quick shower and a new set of clothes later and you’re ready to face the day. It’s nothing fancy, you’re going to work up a sweat again later when you’re fencing, but it’s nice nonetheless - The fact that everything fits perfectly is… slightly concerning, but really not all that unexpected. Any ideas of privacy you once held are long, long gone. If anything you’re likely more monitored in your rooms than anywhere else, though you haven’t done much to confirm that yet. Hunting for bugs with any real vigor would raise a lot of questions with the Zabis that you can’t easily answer.

>>5493442

Casval is already waiting at the table in one of the living rooms when you arrive, chowing down on some jam covered bread, a mug of coffee sitting nearby. Artesia is nowhere to be seen yet, and Mink… Well, she’s sort of just standing off to the side, having procured a small wooden cart from somewhere, the rest of the meal and drinks sitting atop it. You sit alongside your brother, food practically just appearing in front of you as Mink gets to work. Even the smell of the coffee does a lot to wake you up.

>Just eat and then get on with the tour. The sooner that’s done the sooner you’ll be fencing with Dozle and Garma.
>Discuss something with your siblings or Mink? Artesia should be out soon. You’ll need to choose your words carefully here. (Write-in)

>>5493443
>>Just eat and then get on with the tour. The sooner that’s done the sooner you’ll be fencing with Dozle and Garma.

>>5493443
>Discuss something with your siblings or Mink? Artesia should be out soon. You’ll need to choose your words carefully here.

Ask Mink what the deal with Glemy is, and if there are other non-servants who live in the manor.

>>5493443

>Just eat and then get on with the tour. The sooner that’s done the sooner you’ll be fencing with Dozle and Garma.

>>5493443
>Discuss something with your siblings or Mink? Artesia should be out soon. You’ll need to choose your words carefully here. (Write-in)
>Ask Mink about Glemy and other possible non-servants.
And to our siblings if we have the time:
>"I wonder how Lucifer is doing? I hope there isn't any trouble in getting him, you both know how he is with strangers." An innocent enough topic.

>>5493443
>Discuss something with your siblings or Mink? Artesia should be out soon. You’ll need to choose your words carefully here. (Write-in)
>"I wonder how Lucifer is doing? I hope there isn't any trouble in getting him, you both know how he is with strangers." An innocent enough topic.

>>5493443
Changing my vote to just
>Discuss something with your siblings or Mink? Artesia should be out soon. You’ll need to choose your words carefully here. (Write-in)
>"I wonder how Lucifer is doing? I hope there isn't any trouble in getting him, you both know how he is with strangers." An innocent enough topic.
Talking about Glemy and other non-servants could be risky, considering all the rooms here are bugged. Don't want Gihren to know we're talking too much about that kid.

>>5493443
>>Just eat and then get on with the tour. The sooner that’s done the sooner you’ll be fencing with Dozle and Garma.

>>5493461
To give my reasoning of why actually talking about something instead of just getting this over with is that we might be able to gain more of Mink's trust for our siblings or at least make her slightly more sympathetic to us three. And a little bit of bonding with Artesia and Casval, despite where we are, won't hurt anyone.

>>5493461

I very much doubt that Gihren is going to be able to use us being curious about the manor against us. If anything, it would be more suspicious if we weren't curious.

>>5493469
I'm cool with getting on Mink's good side but I don't think we can trust her at all regardless if she's a willing set of ears and eyes or not. The Zabi will force her to keep tabs on us at best, and at worse use her as leverage against us.

>>5493443
>>Just eat and then get on with the tour. The sooner that’s done the sooner you’ll be fencing with Dozle and Garma.

>>5493471
You think he wouldn't mind if we talked about Glemy? Other than the bugs, Mink might relay her thoughts about us to Gihren, willingly or not (she's 'Gihren's favorite' from what I remember). Though you have a point in that it might be suspicious if we weren't curious about the mansion and the people here.

>>5493479
That's true. Though I'm not saying we should trust her with anything, just that we should be on her good side and make her trust us and our siblings. But even going as far as being her friend might be risky, so I'm thinking just having her be sympathetic to us three will be enough.
Either way I think there's a very slim chance the Zabis (or maybe just Gihren) already have her as an informant already through some sort of blackmail, though it seems like the sort of thing they might do if they think it's worth doing.
My meme conspiracy is that she was listening in on us as we were running, and that's why she was out of breath lol
Then again it might be bad if Artesia becomes her friend, so you might have a point. But Artesia might already has sympathy for Mink, so there's that.

>>5493501
>You think he wouldn't mind if we talked about Glemy?

You're acting like we're gonna be talking about how we want to corrupt him and use him as a weapon. While that might be true, just asking about him and what his deal is isn't going to arouse any suspicion. Remember, Kycillia's the paranoid one, not Gihren.

>>5493503
>Remember, Kycillia's the paranoid one, not Gihren.
I feel like Gihren is plenty paranoid himself, but my memory on the Gundam series isn't the best. Though it does sound right that Kycilia is the more paranoid of the two. Then there's the fact that we might not be able to talk about Glemy to anyone that knows about him in the near future.
I really hate to take a risk here, as small as it is (especially since the Kycilia Agency will have bugs everywhere around here, and Kycilia herself might take interest in what we're talking about), what you're saying might be for the best. I still want to talk about Lucifer to maybe make us seem less suspicious and more sympathetic, though it's not much of a priority.

>>5493501
>might already has
*might already have

>>5493444
>>5493450
>>5493467
>>5493499
Get on with the tour.

>>5493445
Glemy.

>>5493461
>>5493459
Lucifer.

Writing.

Artesia arrives soon enough, and before you know it breakfast is already over. The meal was pleasant; sweeter than you’re used to, but very good. It reminds you a lot of breakfast as a young child, back when your family was all together and this nightmare hadn’t yet begun.

With foggy thoughts of half remembered childhood swirling through your mind you set back out on a tour of the palace, Mink leading the way for you and your siblings. It doesn’t take long to get to where you left off the day prior, and you try a little harder to pay attention to the layout this time instead of asking questions of Mink - There’s still plenty to learn from her, but the initial unease of entering the palace has past by now, and the idea of being monitored by bugs in various paintings and light fixtures is much less novel. It’s safe to assume you’re just always being listened to, even if that might not quite be the case.

“...And over there is the gymnasium, it’s fully outfitted though it doesn’t see much use.” Mink explains.

“You said as much yesterday,” You say, nodding as you peer through the open door at all sorts of equipment, “It’s really so disused?”

“I believe Mistress Vivima was using it earlier this morning, but otherwise yes.” Mink replies.

“Pilots have to stay fit.” Casval comments, “She’s quite dedicated then, isn’t she?”

“She… takes to her efforts earnestly.” Mink says, struggling to find the right words for a few moments, “I admire her very much, she’s helped me before, but she can be… peculiar, I suppose.”

“Oh?” Casval prods further, raising an eyebrow at the description.

“It’s hard to ever know where she is, though that new simulator machine seems to have caught her interest recently… Normally she’s off with Kyc…” Mink purses her lips, glancing around the room briefly as she ceases speaking and touches with one hand near the bruise concealed by the frilly sleeve of her uniform, “...Mm, perhaps I’ve said too much… Stupid me, already doing it again…”

“It… hasn’t been an issue for you, has it?” Artesia asks, clearly concerned as she reaches out to place a hand gently on Mink’s shoulder.

The maid shakes her head, black hair moving about slightly from side to side, “...Thank you, but… I’m fine. Shall we continue?”

Artesia meets Mink’s eyes for a long moment, and you can feel a tumultuous flash of anxiety and doubt from the maid, a confusing mixture interspersed with pride and curiosity, and all kinds of other conflicting feelings. It’s the same as yesterday, a tumultuous sea of emotions clashing together in a great storm…

“Let’s keep going.” Artesia finally says, and Mink quickly leads the three of you onward. You pass by a few rooms, mostly for entertainment, a bowling alley, some pools… Interesting places but not of great note - You commit them to memory regardless, slowly trying to build a mental map of the palace.

>>5493751

The tedium of the tour is eventually relieved as your arrive at a room which stands out somewhat from the others. The door is green painted steel, a sliding naval type similar to the ones you saw aboard the Zam, and it stands out like a sore thumb in the otherwise finely crafted baroque hallways. A small computer terminal and keypad jut from the wall next to the door, a security measure of some kind most likely. There are no markings on the door or nearby walls.

“And this is the simulator room… I don’t think it’s in use currently,” Minks says, smiling as she motions to the heavy steel door, “They only finished installing everything a handful of days ago. Would you like to see the interior?”

>”...Is that allowed? We weren’t given permission, but as long as it won’t cause any trouble…” Of course you’d like to see it!
>”Later, I think I’d prefer to see it with Vivima. Seems like a good way to get to know one another, don’t you think so?” A maid wouldn’t know much about it anyways.
>Write-in.

>>5493754
>”...Is that allowed? We weren’t given permission, but as long as it won’t cause any trouble…” Of course you’d like to see it!

>>5493754
>>”...Is that allowed? We weren’t given permission, but as long as it won’t cause any trouble…” Of course you’d like to see it!

>>5493751
>Normally she’s off with Kyc…
More confirmation about Vivma. I know I've said this before but I feel like we'll need to watch ourselves while around her.

>>5493754
>”Later, I think I’d prefer to see it with Vivima. Seems like a good way to get to know one another, don’t you think so?” A maid wouldn’t know much about it anyways.
There's a very big chance this might be a bad idea, but I think it would be wise to get to know Vivima's personality firsthand.

>>5493754
>”...Is that allowed? We weren’t given permission, but as long as it won’t cause any trouble…” Of course you’d like to see it!
>>5493788
>I feel like we'll need to watch ourselves while around her.
Undoubtedly. She's probably going to be pretty hard to get a handle on.

>>5493754
>”Later, I think I’d prefer to see it with Vivima. Seems like a good way to get to know one another, don’t you think so?” A maid wouldn’t know much about it anyways.

>>5493790
She'll be an interesting character, that's for sure.

>>5493754
>”Later, I think I’d prefer to see it with Vivima. Seems like a good way to get to know one another, don’t you think so?” A maid wouldn’t know much about it anyways.

>>5493782
>>5493785
>>5493790
Simulator now.

>>5493788
>>5493792
>>5493846
Later with Vivima.

We have a tie. I'll give it another hour for a tie breaker.

>>5493754
>>”...Is that allowed? We weren’t given permission, but as long as it won’t cause any trouble…” Of course you’d like to see it!

>>5493869
>>5493790
>>5493785
>>5493782
Checking it out now wins. Writing, but I probably won't finish until sometime tomorrow morning.

“...Is that allowed?” You ask curiously, gaze fixed on the keypad leading to the simulator, “We weren’t given permission, but as long as it won’t cause any trouble…”

“Trouble?” Mink questions, tilting her head ever so slightly as she stops to consider the idea more deeply, “No, no, I think it should be okay.”

“Are you sure?” Artesia asks, “I don’t want anything to come back down on you.”

Mink nods, stepping toward the keypad and quickly tapping her fingers across it, entering a fairly long code. You try to track her movements, but she’s actually quite quick at entering it all - 9504… something, you missed the last few numbers after that.

“I’m surprised you have the codes to open it up.” Casval comments idly.

The four of you enter the room, a slightly sloped semicircle with a central observation position and then several large pods attached to a gyroscopic frame. The terminals around the central observation area are covered in various readouts, all of which are empty and silent for the time being. None of the pods are active, and almost all of the screens are black and fully deactivated.

“Oh, it’s more for the experience than actual security I think, they gave all the staff the code so we can clean and such,” Mink offers with a cute little shrug as she steps toward the observation position, “It’s just supposed to make you feel more like a pilot when you’re going in I think… It makes me feel like I’m wasting time, I just wish the door would open. They only just let me in a few days ago when installation finished, it was all such an awful mess. Cleaning things up took hours.”

“You probably spent a lot of time with Vivima then - She didn’t mind the cleaning?” You ask, trying to get a better sense of what kind of person Vivima might be without pushing too deeply.

“Mm, I wouldn’t say that, but she dealt with it. She even did some of it herself!” Mink answers happily, leaning idly against one of the deactivated terminals and letting out a surprised little noise as its screens flash on and it whirrs to life with a low electric hum.

“That’s a little hard to imagine.” Casval comments mostly to himself, already busily looking over the control panels but touching nothing. Artesia is doing much the same, closer to Mink and trying not to laugh at her clumsy mistake.

“So there’s six pods… They all work?” You question, looking down toward the little sunken bays in the sloped semicircle which contain the simulator pods.

“...I think so?” Mink answers uncertainly, “I know those two over there do, Vivima used them, but I haven’t seen the others being used. …Sorry, I’m not much of a technician.”

>>5493936

“I take it we probably shouldn’t touch anything?” Artesia hesitantly asks, looking at the screens Mink accidentally activated, “...Do we need to turn this off?”

“Uhm… I’m not sure actually. I can do it, I think.” Mink says, her cheeks turning a bit red as she reads over the various buttons and switches, “Oh, shoot. What did I press? Ah, there you are! Thought you could hide could you?”

With a quick flick of a little red switch the screens deactivate once more, and the room is again mostly inactive. Mink places her hands on her hips, looking quite proud of herself.

>”Do you think they’d mind if we… tried it out for a bit?” Curiosity might be getting the better of you here, but it does sort of fit what the Zabis know about your ‘innocent’ identity. Getting the things running might be an issue, it’s not quite clear how this all works.

>”Casval, do you think they’re all networked? That would be a lot of fun, wouldn’t it?” Take a closer look around, but don’t touch anything for now.

>”...Well, I’d be lying if I said that sated my curiosity, but it’s probably best that we don’t linger for too long.” Leave and finish out the remainder of the tour, and get on your way to fencing.

>Write-in.

Decided to finish the post. Posting schedule is going to be all sorts of weird over the holidays, got to take the opportunities when they pop up.

>>5493938
>”Casval, do you think they’re all networked? That would be a lot of fun, wouldn’t it?” Take a closer look around, but don’t touch anything for now.

>Touching a machine we don't know how to operate
>Which is extremely important to a significant character Felix hasn't yet met
Lmao, that's bait.

>>5493938
>”Casval, do you think they’re all networked? That would be a lot of fun, wouldn’t it?” Take a closer look around, but don’t touch anything for now.

>>5493938
>>”Casval, do you think they’re all networked? That would be a lot of fun, wouldn’t it?” Take a closer look around, but don’t touch anything for now.

File: 1427983197648.gif (1.96 MB, 267x151)

1.96 MB GIF

>>5493938
>>”Casval, do you think they’re all networked? That would be a lot of fun, wouldn’t it?” Take a closer look around, but don’t touch anything for now.
>>”...Well, I’d be lying if I said that sated my curiosity, but it’s probably best that we don’t linger for too long.” Leave and finish out the remainder of the tour, and get on your way to fencing.

Hell yeah, it's back.

>>5493938
>>5493947
Changing my vote to:
>”Casval, do you think they’re all networked? That would be a lot of fun, wouldn’t it?” Take a closer look around, but don’t touch anything for now.
>”...Well, I’d be lying if I said that sated my curiosity, but it’s probably best that we don’t linger for too long.” Leave and finish out the remainder of the tour, and get on your way to fencing.

>>5493938
1)
>”...Well, I’d be lying if I said that sated my curiosity, but it’s probably best that we don’t linger for too long.” Leave and finish out the remainder of the tour, and get on your way to fencing.
2)
>”Casval, do you think they’re all networked? That would be a lot of fun, wouldn’t it?” Take a closer look around, but don’t touch anything for now.

>>5493941
>>5493949
>>5494163 (second option)
Look.

>>5494051
>>5494101
Look and then leave.

Writing.

“Casval, do you think they’re all networked?” You ask while looking over the labeled buttons and switches of the central observation position, “That would be a lot of fun, wouldn’t it?”

“They are.” Your brother answers, squinting as he traces a finger across one of the lines of switches, hovering just a hair above them as he examines them, “This controls which ones are connected to one another, and this… powers them on.”

He looks at a small line of red switches for a long couple of seconds and then shakes his head, turning away from them with a small smirk.

“I think this records everything.” Artesia says as she looks over the panel Mink shut off a few moments ago, “And these screens display it… probably?”

“I think that’s right, Mistress Vivima re-watches things here sometimes.” Mink agrees, and you move closer to take a look. Sure enough the screens are labelled for each of the pods, they probably display what the pilot inside can see during simulations… or maybe their faces? Both? Without power on it isn’t really possible to know what it can and can’t do. Still, the general intention of the system is clear enough.

“She re-watches the simulations?” You ask curiously, “...Are the recordings kept?”

“I would think so,” Mink answers, almost laughing, “How else would she watch them?”

“Oh come on, you know what I meant.” You respond, resisting the urge to roll your eyes, “I meant longer term storage.”

“Uhm… Sorry, that’s about the limit of what I know about that. Maybe though? I don’t see why it wouldn’t keep things...” Mink replies, her tone growing a bit sly, “Why? Want to see what she’s like when she flies?”

“...I was just curious about what the simulation looks like, no need to mess with anything again.” You reply, moving away from the observation area and down toward the pods themselves.

>>5494264

“...This is medical monitoring equipment…” Artesia notes with a hint of surprise as she looks over another area of the observation area, but you’re not paying too much attention as you approach one of the pods.

Calling it a ‘pod’ might be a bit of a misnomer, it’s more angular than rounded, one side vaguely resembling the exterior hatches you saw on the mobile suits back aboard the Zam a few days ago, all the way down to the concealed keypads and slightly recessed handles to open it. It seems like they’ve accounted for about as much as they can… acceleration and the lack of microgravity are still issues though, but not everything can be simulated so easily. It’s quality work though, much better than the static stations you had back on Texas colony… Not that you ever used them much, with real flight time being available fairly frequently. Casval joined you at some point as you’re looking over the pod, silently appreciating it alongside.

>”...We should get on with the rest of the tour. We’ll definitely be back though.”
>”...It wouldn’t hurt if we look inside, right?” Take a look inside the pod.
>Review simulation footage. You can probably figure out how to call that up without too much issue.
>Write-in.

>>5494265
1)
>”...We should get on with the rest of the tour. We’ll definitely be back though.”
2)
>Review simulation footage. You can probably figure out how to call that up without too much issue.
>”...We should get on with the rest of the tour. We’ll definitely be back though.”
3)
>Review simulation footage. You can probably figure out how to call that up without too much issue.

>>5494265
1)
>”...We should get on with the rest of the tour. We’ll definitely be back though.”

2)
>Review simulation footage. You can probably figure out how to call that up without too much issue.
>”...We should get on with the rest of the tour. We’ll definitely be back though.”

>>5494265
>”...We should get on with the rest of the tour. We’ll definitely be back though.”

>>5494265
>>”...We should get on with the rest of the tour. We’ll definitely be back though.”

>>5494265
>>”...We should get on with the rest of the tour. We’ll definitely be back though.”

>>5494279
>>5494280
>>5494281
>>5494378
>>5494477
Finish the tour. Writing.

Longer delay than I expected.

“...We should get on with the rest of the tour.” You say to Casval as the two of you finish examining the exterior of the pod, “We’ll definitely be back though.”

“I would’ve liked to see one of these spun up," Casval replies, tapping at the gyroscopic frame surrounding the pod, “But it can wait.”

You nod and move back up the slight slope to the central observation position, rejoining Artesia and Mink.

“They can spin you that fast? Wow. No wonder they have the monitors.” Artesia says in mild shock.

“Mistress Vivima was a bit… frazzled after the end of her first run,” Mink says amusedly, moving one of her fingers in a little loop to emphasize the point, “They can really spin.”

“I imagine the aftermath is…” Artesia trails off, wrinkling her nose a bit in disgust.

Mink nods grimly, leaving the rest unsaid, and turns to face you and Casval, “All finished down there you two?”

“For now. They’re excellent machines, I look forward to seeing more of them.” Your brother replies with a grin, “On to the rest of the palace then?”

“Oh, of course!” Mink responds, looking to you and Artesia briefly for confirmation. You both give small nods of approval and the four of you are soon back out through the heavy steel door and into the baroque hallways of the palace.

>>5494590

The rest of the tour goes by without much of note, aside from passing by the rooms of the various Zabis. Garma and Vivima’s are quite near one another, and from the exterior there’s not much to say about them; as usual the Zabi’s spared no expense in terms of decoration, lavish painting covering the walls alongside marble statues of famous spacenoids and great leaders from throughout history… It’s odd to see your father’s face among them, a mere decoration in the home of his murderers.

You push aside your feelings for a while longer, refocusing your attention. There are more purple hues in use in this section of the palace, a lot more, which… Actually it reminds you a bit of how your mother used to match you and Casval’s clothes when you were both much younger. You smirk a little at the thought of Degwin insisting on something like this, it might not have been at his order but he seemed a sentimental enough sort to have done that years ago and never change it since.

“This is… very royal looking, isn’t it?” Artesia says, struggling a bit to find a way to address the shift in coloration.

“Royal?” Mink questions, “Mm, I suppose so, but that’s fitting isn’t it? Do you not like the look?”

“It’s beautiful, I just… wasn’t expecting so much effort in matching things.” Artesia responds, “Does this mean everything near Dozle’s room is larger?”

“Yes, indeed!” Mink responds cheerfully, and you let out a small chuckle at the mental image, “I’m afraid the trend doesn’t continue past that though, Mistress Kycilia especially is always having changes made…”

>>5494591

A few more minutes later

Dozle’s section of the palace was indeed larger, filled with suits of armor and paintings of old battle on earth, but otherwise there was little to see besides an area that you imagine must have been Sasro’s in the past… It’s rather untouched looking, not that it’s dirty or anything of the sort, but it feels undisturbed, like an unseen specter of the past hangs over the halls and rooms. You’re soon beyond both areas, heading higher up in the palace.

A pair of armed guards stand at attention near a large set of double doors which intersect the grand hallway you find yourself in, and Mink stops you and your siblings before you can get too close.

“That’s Mistress Kycilia’s section. I was told not to show it to you… and… those guards aren’t usually there…” Mink says in an apologetic tone but with just a hint of confusion, her violet eyes narrowing and remaining locked on the distant guards.

“...Understandable,” Casval says wryly, “Respecting others privacy is very important.”

You resist the urge to laugh, but Mink fails to do so - it’s infectious, and soon Artesia joins in with a little stifled giggle.

“Master Degwin and Master Gihren’s sections are this way. Those are the last areas to show…” Mink says after she recovers from her little fit of laughter, leading you onward.

Half an hour later.

The tour is completely finished. You weren’t allowed too far into Gihren or Degwin’s areas either, and the Zabis themselves continue to go unseen. At this point you feel at least vaguely oriented in the vastness of the palace, though it’s likely to be another week at least before you can get anywhere with real speed.

“...And that concludes the tour of the palace!” Minks says with a little flourishing spin and a smile, “I hope its lived up to expectations.”

“In more ways than you might expect.” Casval says, crossing his arms.

“It can be a bit much, can’t it?” Mink asks, picking up on at least part of your brother’s meaning, “Still, it’s… home, I suppose.”

“I think it’s lovely. The interior is anyways…” Artesia says, “I can see why keeping it running is so much work, but the exterior…”

“Oh, I love the exterior!” Mink says, holding her hands close to her chest, “It’s so spiky, other buildings are so boring, aren’t they? When I look at them from the windows I can’t help but notice how terribly dull they are, but… uhm… Oh. Do you not like it?”

“...It’s an acquired taste, maybe we’ll get used to it.” You say, trying to let her down gently.

“I hope so,” Mink responds, her violet eyes meeting yours for a long moment, “Is… is there anything else you’ll be needing?”

>>5494597

“It’s getting close to time for fencing, isn’t it?” You ask, and Mink confirms your suspicion with a polite nod, “We’ll need equipment, do you know if everything will already be there?”

“It should be, but I’ll double check.” She answers, “Will you be able to make your way there on your own?”

“I know the way. You’ve been very helpful, Mink.” Casval answers politely, and that seems to relax the maid a bit and she closes her eyes for a moment.

“I’m glad to have been of assistance then.” Mink says with a curtsy, and soon enough she’s off, disappearing into one of the partially hidden servant ways in a nearby wall.

“...You do actually know the way, right?” Artesia asks your brother, to which he responds by starting to walk, “Oh, good. Sorry, I just got a little lost in all of that.”

“It’s good that you were paying more attention to Mink.” Casval says as he leads you both onward and toward a nearby flight of stairs, “She’s odd, isn’t she?”

“Poor girl has been doing this for years, anyone would get a bit strange under the circumstances.” Artesia says a touch defensively, “Why?”

“I didn’t mean anything more by it, she’s just not what I’d expect of a head maid. A bit young, for one.” Casval explains.

“Eh, maybe that’s just Gihren, she’s his ‘favorite’ right?” You say, not wanting to elaborate further.

“Ew.” Artesia says quietly, voice filled with disgust, “You… might be right though. She has a lot of marks she tries to hide.”

You nod grimly, “Not a polite conversation to be having here though…”

>>5494598

A few more minutes later

You’re at the palace’s fencing hall, a modest chamber with a pair of pistes and very old world decor, and little in the way of stands; You’re not used to anything quite so formal, and it’s nice to have proper facilities for once. The white fencing jacket and knickers you were provided with fit well, and you’ve just finished putting them on - You and your siblings arrived early, but the gear was waiting for you when you got there.

“They shouldn’t be long now, right?” Artesia asks as she adjusts the collar of her white jacket, less used to the outfit than you and Casval are, “Dozle doesn’t seem like the type to be late.”

“We have a few more minutes at least.” Casval says, eyeing an analog clock on one of the walls, “Felix, want to get in a bout before they’re here?”

>”Absolutely! I almost thought you weren’t going to ask.” The gap in your skills has narrowed somewhat, but you’re unlikely to win. Still, you can really go at it with your brother, it would be quite the show if Garma and Dozle arrive mid round.
>”We’ll have plenty of time once they’re here. Artesia, want to warm up a bit?” She’s the least experienced of the three of you, a bit of a warmup would help her the most.
>Write-in.

>>5494600

>”Absolutely! I almost thought you weren’t going to ask.” The gap in your skills has narrowed somewhat, but you’re unlikely to win. Still, you can really go at it with your brother, it would be quite the show if Garma and Dozle arrive mid round.

>>5494600
>"How about you two go with each other for a bit?" Artesia might be far less experienced than Casval, but practicing together might be good for them in different ways.

>>5494600
>”Absolutely! I almost thought you weren’t going to ask.” The gap in your skills has narrowed somewhat, but you’re unlikely to win. Still, you can really go at it with your brother, it would be quite the show if Garma and Dozle arrive mid round.

>>5494600
>”Absolutely! I almost thought you weren’t going to ask.” The gap in your skills has narrowed somewhat, but you’re unlikely to win. Still, you can really go at it with your brother, it would be quite the show if Garma and Dozle arrive mid round.

>>5494600
>>5494604
Changing my vote to:

1)
>"How about you two go with each other for a bit?" Artesia might be far less experienced than Casval, but practicing together might be good for them in different ways.
Good for them to bond a bit, also hoping that this could improve how good of a leader Casval can become, even if it's only by a little.

2)
>”We’ll have plenty of time once they’re here. Artesia, want to warm up a bit?” She’s the least experienced of the three of you, a bit of a warmup would help her the most.
Eh, she needs the help catching up.

This whole thing with Mink really makes me think we should try to make some male friends. Literally every major character we've interacted with a lot that isn't either Char or Casval so far has been female.

Maybe that's why I want to get buddy-buddy with Dozle and Garma so much. Put a bit of variety in this fuckin taco-party.

>>5494618
>Spoiler
I think we're already on Dozle's good side, shouldn't be too hard to get more friendly with him.

>>5494604
+1

>>5494600
Supporting >>5494613. If we don't get enough votes for a majority, I'm fine with leaving Artesia to Caval. We can handle Garma ourselves.

>>5494647
>We can handle Garma ourselves.

Garma's gonna fall in love with us this time, not Casval.

>>5494647
>We can handle Garma ourselves.
Not a bad idea to get to know Garma, since Degwin did tell us to take care of him.
Also I like the idea of having Artesia and Casval actually working together for once unlike in canon.

>>5494606
Changing to support
>>5494604

>>5494613
>>5494634
>>5494647
>>5494661
Writing.

“How about you two go with each other for a bit?” You offer up, looking between Casval and Artesia.

“Are you up for that?” Casval asks Artesia before reaching down to grab his saber from the wooden floor.

“Are you?” Your sister answers playfully, fetching her own saber and standing, “This'll be fun, we don’t do enough things together.”

Your brother’s stops for a moment as he slides his mask on, “We do things together all the time, Artesia.”

“Flying occasionally and the last few weeks don’t count.” Artesia carries on, though you know she’s mostly joking. Mostly.

“Pff. You’re making up the rules as you go along.” Casval says, chuckling as he moves to the piste, “We do a lot more than we used to.”

“Mm, maybe we do. Ready?” Artesia says, taking up position a few paces opposite your brother.

Casval nods, his mesh mask bobbing slightly, “Ready. Felix, call it?”

“Allez!” You call out, leaning back to enjoy the show.

Artesia is fairly athletic for how much of a bookworm she can be, and she’s been a quick learner at fencing, but compared to Casval she’s a couple of orders of magnitude out of her league. He’s taller, faster, fitter, more experienced… Everything weighs against Artesia as the two begin to exchange blows, a few probing strikes starting the round, steel clinking lightly on steel as their blades meet, a slow opening. There’s a sudden rush of movement, you brother a blur of white as he lunges forward, and Artesia just isn’t quick enough to mount much of a defense - She’s struck on the chest, your brother’s blade sneaking past hers with a couple of inches to spare.

…And so it goes for the next few minutes, Casval handily trouncing Artesia again and again, but it does nothing to discourage her. She’s improving - some of it’s just warming up, and that goes ways - but by the time they’re starting the third round she’s really in the swing of things. Not that it’s going to help her win, but she’s lasting longer and reacting much more quickly.

>>5494903

The door to the hall practically slams open, heavy footsteps pounding their way into the room as the colossal form of Dozle Zabi appears. The huge man is already dressed for the matches to come, and he throws out one of his white jacketed arms to the side in greeting as he calls out.

“We have arrived!” Dozles thunders while taking one great step through the entrance, a sheathed sword in his other hand.

Casval slows for just a moment, glancing to look toward Dozle, and promtly receives a saber to his mask as his just reward for getting distracted.

“I did it!” Artesia calls out ecstatically, drawing your brother’s attention back to her…

You leave them to it, waving to Dozle and standing to greet him. A purple haired and shorter young man, who could only be Garma, enters after Dozle, just as smartly dressed and looking eager for a match - He returns your wave, meeting you halfway as you walk toward them both.

“Felix?” Garma asks, extending a hand toward you. You nod and accept the handshake; his grip isn’t all that firm, but it tightens quickly.

“It’s been years, Garma.” You reply, meeting his purple eyes with your own steady gaze.

“I hardly recognized you, Felix, it really has been years.” He says, letting go of your hand and brushing a bit of his purple hair back, a warm smile spreading across his face, “It’s good to see you again - the way everyone’s always talked I thought you were all gone for good.”

You almost wince at his words but manage to keep a calm expression. Unless Garma somehow became an even better liar than Kycilia you doubt he meant the words cruelly; his demeanor is still quite friendly, but he could really choose his words better. Dozle watches over your meeting, but the huge man appears to be following the match between your siblings with greater interest.

>”It’s been an interesting few years, but we’re back to stay. How about a bout or two?” Nothing quite like a good fight to get the measure of a person.
>”For the first few years I wasn’t sure if we’d ever be back, it’s been rough - But that’s the past now. How’ve you been, Garma? Dozle painted quite the picture on the trip back to Zeon.” Not quite the full gory truth, but there’s nothing wrong with a bit of honesty.
>”We got to live in Spain for a few years, it wasn’t all that bad really. I’m glad to be back though. How’ve you been, Garma?” Downplay the last few years.
>Write-in.

>>5494914

>”It’s been an interesting few years, but we’re back to stay. How about a bout or two?” Nothing quite like a good fight to get the measure of a person.

>>5494914
>>”It’s been an interesting few years, but we’re back to stay. How about a bout or two?” Nothing quite like a good fight to get the measure of a person.

>>5494914
>”It’s been an interesting few years, but we’re back to stay. How about a bout or two?” Nothing quite like a good fight to get the measure of a person.
I wonder how he'll treat us and our siblings, considering we're all technically 'royalty' here in Zeon.

>>5494914
>”For the first few years I wasn’t sure if we’d ever be back, it’s been rough - But that’s the past now. How’ve you been, Garma? Dozle painted quite the picture on the trip back to Zeon.” Not quite the full gory truth, but there’s nothing wrong with a bit of honesty.

>>5494914
>”For the first few years I wasn’t sure if we’d ever be back, it’s been rough - But that’s the past now. How’ve you been, Garma? Dozle painted quite the picture on the trip back to Zeon.” Not quite the full gory truth, but there’s nothing wrong with a bit of honesty.

>>5494914
>>5494929
I'll change my vote, we can always spar with him later.
>”For the first few years I wasn’t sure if we’d ever be back, it’s been rough - But that’s the past now. How’ve you been, Garma? Dozle painted quite the picture on the trip back to Zeon.” Not quite the full gory truth, but there’s nothing wrong with a bit of honesty.
I just hope neither Casval nor Artesia talk against what we're saying by accident.
Now that I think about it, would it be best if we're buddy-friends with Garma while Casval is rival-friends with him? If that even makes any sense.

>>5494914
>”It’s been an interesting few years, but we’re back to stay. How about a bout or two?” Nothing quite like a good fight to get the measure of a person.

>>5495259
>>5494918
>>5494919
Right into a match!

>>5495141
>>5494996
>>5494939
Bit of honest-ish talk to start.

Got a tie, I'll give it an hour for a tiebreaker.

>>5495483
Going to give it another hour and then roll off if there isn't a winner.
Apologies for the much slower posting schedule, got lots of family stuff to do.

Rolled 2 (1d2)

>>5495541
Fight 1, Talk 2.

>>5495541
>spoiler
Don't apologize Contolist, memes about Felix being family-first aside it's good to help relatives.

“For the first few years I wasn’t sure if we’d ever be back, it’s been rough - But that’s the past now.” You reply, keeping close to the truth, “How’ve you been, Garma? Dozle painted quite the picture on the trip back to Zeon.”

“You did, Dozle?” Garma asks, glancing towards Dozle, something in his voice betraying that this must be a common occurrence.

“I only spoke the truth.” Dozle rumbles, ignoring the match between Artesia and Casval for a moment, “You’re shaping up to be a fine leader, Garma - A few years in the academy and Zeon will be stronger than ever.”

“You’re too kind, brother.” Garma says, pride evident in his voice though he’s directing the question more towards you than Dozle, “It’s expected of us though, isn’t it?”

“So it is.” You agree, finding the conversation easy enough to slip into, “Expectations have a way of following one wherever they go, for good or ill.”

Garma laughs, “It sounds like you really must have been through something, you almost sound like my father. I suppose that’s why he arranged for this, isn’t it?”

“Experience will do that to a man, young or otherwise.” Dozle rumbles, placing a huge hand on Garma’s shoulder, “There’s much you might learn from-”

“Much?” Garma asks, with a hint of petulance, “I thought things were coming along well.”

“Of course they are, you’re a man of the Zabi family.” Dozle replies, his huge hand squeezing Garma’s shoulder just slightly before being pulled away, “But you’re still young. You’ll have much to teach them as well.”

“...Perhaps you’re right, Dozle.” Garma says, his tone softening quickly, whatever insecurity he was reacting to having eased somewhat as he directs his attention back to you, “How long have you been fencing for, Felix?”

“Five years, give or take a few months. Started learning with my brother while we were in Spain.” You answer, keeping the conversation moving, “Yourself?”

Garma smirks, that earlier prideful glint returning to his purple eyes, “Seven, Dozle drags me here every few weeks when he’s not away on duty. Is that your brother over there? The taller one?”

“That’s Casval.” You confirm, watching as the third round comes to an end with a riposte to your sister’s left arm, “They should be finished now.”

“And the other?” Garma questions curiously, “One of the servants? I know a few can fence but I wasn’t expecting a fifth person today.”

>>5495725

Casval removes his mask and gives a wave to Dozle and Garma. Artesia follows suit a moment later, her blonde hair spilling out messily - She brushes it back with her free hand, setting down her saber and mask a moment later.

“Oh. Wow.” Garma says, turning slightly red, “I… I didn’t realize.”

“Did I not mention that?” Dozle ponders aloud, rubbing at his scarred chin, “Must have slipped my mind. Quite the fighter, isn’t she?”

“Artesia’s a quick learner, she’ll be going to the academy with us in the next class.” You say, feeling a real surge of pride; she might have handily lost the bout, but she performed well for her level of experience. You can make a lot more of a competition of it, even win on occasion, but Casval is extremely good at the sport.

“You’re all going to the academy too?” Garma questions slowly before looking at Dozle again with a mix of surprise and amusement, “You haven’t forgotten to mention a fourth Deikun as well, Dozle, have you?”

The huge man lets out a deep laugh, shaking his head, “I thought it would be best if they told you.”

“I’ve been looking forward to it for awhile now,” You say quickly, keeping the timescale vague but otherwise telling the truth, “Returning to serve the homeland is

“That it is, Felix.” Casval says, joining in the conversation, “It’s good to see you again, Garma.”

“Likewise.” Garma says, easing up a little more, though his attention is clearly isn’t focused on your brother.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Artesia says with a charming a smile, “Or see you again, I guess. …I don’t remember all that much from the parties when we used to live on Zum.”

“It must be our first time properly meeting, I’m sure I would have remembered you otherwise.” Garma says, matching your sister’s smile, “But we were all much younger then, weren’t we?”

“Ha! You were, that wasn’t so long ago though, you barely came up to my waist then. You were so small then, shorter then Vivima if I rem-”

“Dozle.” Garma says in embarrassment, elbowing his older brother a bit but only managing to elicit a deep laugh from the giant of a man.

“Hoho, come now Garma, let me reminisce a bit. We’re in good company here.” Dozle says jovially, but he lets the topic pass much to Garma’s relief.

>”Come on then, enough talk - We’re here to fence aren’t we? How about a few rounds, Garma?”
>”Dozle, how about a quick match?” Let Garma and your siblings figure things out on their own for a bit.
>”...Alright Casval, enough warming up, let's have a go at it.” Leave Garma and Dozle with Artesia for a moment, she’s good with people and you’ve got a show to put on.
>Write-in.

>>5495727
>”...Alright Casval, enough warming up, let's have a go at it.” Leave Garma and Dozle with Artesia for a moment, she’s good with people and you’ve got a show to put on.

>>5495727
>>”Dozle, how about a quick match?” Let Garma and your siblings figure things out on their own for a bit.

>>5495727
>>”Come on then, enough talk - We’re here to fence aren’t we? How about a few rounds, Garma?”

>>5495727
1)
>”Dozle, how about a quick match?” Let Garma and your siblings figure things out on their own for a bit.
The smarter choice politically, since Artesia and Casval can check each other and figure out how to act with Garma, since we already made our introductions with him.

2)
>”Come on then, enough talk - We’re here to fence aren’t we? How about a few rounds, Garma?”
This is just to cement our relations with him.

3)
>”...Alright Casval, enough warming up, let's have a go at it.” Leave Garma and Dozle with Artesia for a moment, she’s good with people and you’ve got a show to put on.
Also not a bad option, but I don't fully trust Garma and Artesia talking together without Casval or ourselves around to make sure she doesn't trust him with too much information. Other than that I'm not sure what to make of Garma's reaction to our sister.

>>5495727
>”Come on then, enough talk - We’re here to fence aren’t we? How about a few rounds, Garma?”

>>5495727
>>”Come on then, enough talk - We’re here to fence aren’t we? How about a few rounds, Garma?”

Also, Garma is getting a crush on Artesia isn't he? We can finally tease her back.

>>5495752
I was thinking that might be the case, but it's possible Garma could've just been taken by surprise.
Besides isn't he with Icelina already? I remember someone commented about why he wasn't there at the dinner yesterday.

>>5495758
Garma doesn't meet Icelina till, like, halfway through the OYW.

>>5495772
>“Hoho, that girl still?” Dozle asks loudly, flashing a huge smile, “Young love is a beautiful thing. Garma is quite the charmer, isn't he?”

>“Indeed, Dozle. Indeed. I didn’t wish to take him from it, even for this.” Degwin agrees, a small smile stretching across his sagging and wrinkled face.

You're right, it was probably someone else. It doesn't specifically say anything about Icelina.

>>5495737
>>5495740 (second option)
>>5495749
>>5495751
Writing.

“Come on then, enough talk - We’re here to fence aren’t we?” You ask, crossing your arms, “How about a few rounds, Garma?”

“Right to sparring then?” Garma says, a little surprised, “Saber or?...”

“Your choice,” You offer, “It’s just a warm up.”

“Foil then,” Garma, “It’s what we’ll be using at the academy.”

“We’ll switch things up as well.” Casval says, looking to Artesia for confirmation. She nods, moving over to the line of weapons on a nearby wall to retrieve a pair of foils. You and Garma follow along while Casval and Dozle talk on their own.

“So you’ve just started fencing recently?” Garma asks your sister, “That was some impressive footwork earlier, very graceful.”

“Thanks. Casval and Felix have been trying to drag me into lessons for ages now, but I’ve only really started to try recently.” Artesia says, handing one of the foils to Garma before grabbing two more, “It was after we started piloting.”

“You’re pilots too then? I’ve just started lessons recently.” Garma asks with obvious interest.

“Nothing quite like it.” You comment, grabbing your own foil before the three of you head back to the pistes, “How far along are you?”

“I’ll be doing my first solo flights soon, it’s all still atmospheric work.” Garma replies, brushing back a bit of his purple hair once more.

You nod, understanding immediately, “Ah, glider training then. We’ve mostly done vacuum, worker pods and a bit of racing here and there.”

“Informally.” Artesia clarifies, “...Or illegally, I suppose, but nobody important minded.”

“Illegal racing?” Garma teases, obviously intrigued but keeping things light, “That rule breaking doesn’t extend to fencing too, I hope.”

“Depends on when you catch them, Casval and Felix can be very competitive.” Artesia answers with a sly grin, causing Garma’s eyes to glance between you and your brother as you return back to the center of the chamber, “And I’d never be caught doing it of course.”

“You almost sound like Viv,” Garma says with a pleasant laugh, “But enough about that, lets fence.”

Casval moves from Dozle’s side and accepts one of the foils from Artesia, the two of them heading off to one of the pistes, you and Garma mirroring it on the other as Dozle watches from off to the side.

>>5495915

You slide on your mask, a snug fit, and look out through its mesh screen at Garma, just a few paces away. You take up your positions and ready for the bout - It’s clear that Garma’s been well taught, his stance is decent, but if Dozle’s comments were accurate then Garma's not actually all that skilled yet. Foil isn’t your preference, but you’ve still done a fair bit of work with it. Chances are you’re quite a bit better than Garma if he only trains every few weeks - You’ve been at it nearly every day recently.

How do you proceed?

>Test Garma for a while, get a feeling for where his skill level really is; he might think you’re just toying with him.
>Fence normally, just as if you were up against Casval. You’re not here to play with kids gloves on, Degwin told you to help, not to pamper him.
>Try to keep up the appearance of competition, no need to wound his pride immediately. You’ll probably need to go easy on him.
>Write-in.

>>5495917
>Fence normally, just as if you were up against Casval. You’re not here to play with kids gloves on, Degwin told you to help, not to pamper him.
No reason to dick around, we'll only wound his pride like that.

>>5495917
>Fence normally, just as if you were up against Casval. You’re not here to play with kids gloves on, Degwin told you to help, not to pamper him.

>>5495917
>>Fence normally, just as if you were up against Casval. You’re not here to play with kids gloves on, Degwin told you to help, not to pamper him.

>>5495917
1)
>Try to keep up the appearance of competition, no need to wound his pride immediately. You’ll probably need to go easy on him.
Let's leave the rivalry for Casval.

2)
>Fence normally, just as if you were up against Casval. You’re not here to play with kids gloves on, Degwin told you to help, not to pamper him.
Still we made a good first impression, this shouldn't make much of a difference. Besides a potential rivalry could always emerge either way with Casval.

>>5495917
>>Fence normally, just as if you were up against Casval. You’re not here to play with kids gloves on, Degwin told you to help, not to pamper him.

>>5495917
>Fence normally, just as if you were up against Casval. You’re not here to play with kids gloves on, Degwin told you to help, not to pamper him.

>>5495917
>>Fence normally, just as if you were up against Casval. You’re not here to play with kids gloves on, Degwin told you to help, not to pamper him.

>>5495917
>>Fence normally, just as if you were up against Casval. You’re not here to play with kids gloves on, Degwin told you to help, not to pamper him.

>>5495921
>>5495923
>>5495924
>>5495926 (second option)
>>5495929
>>5495941
>>5495942
>>5495946
Writing.

You eye for Garma for a moment through the slight obscuration of your mask’s mesh, waiting for Dozle to call for the match to begin - There wasn’t a spoken agreement, but your salutes are more than enough for him to intuit his impromptu role.

“Allez!” Dozle roars, and immediately you’re in motion.

A quick pair of steps carrying you toward Garma. In a blur you thrust forward, the foil like lightning extending from you hand, a flash of wispy thin steel which Garma almost fails to notice in time, a sloppy parry batting it aside. He’s slower than you are, but more importantly his movements are relatively lacking in subtlety. He immediately presses, and you step backward just enough to void his strike, moving clear of his reach before returning with a sudden lunge to meet Garma’s next attack, flicking aside his blade and delivering a clean riposte. You smile inside your mask, the impact and flex of your foil against Garma’s chest unmistakable.

Garma mutters something under his breath that you can’t quite hear and the two of you return to your starting positions. Dozle signals once again, and you’re at it…

…And once again it’s over quite quickly, Garma overcorrecting for his prior aggression and focusing too greatly on defense - Your third attack sneaks in and lands cleanly, the ending of a rapid series of exchanges.

And so it goes, five points soon reached and the round coming to an end.

“Hold on.” Garma says, removing his mask and exhaling deeply, frustration written across his fair features.

You remove your own mask, glancing to Dozle for a moment; he looks disappointed, his huge arms crossed.

“How often do you do this, Felix?” Garma asks, his brow furrowed as he tries to make sense of things.

“Nearly every day, usually it’s saber. We do foil and epee a few times a week.” You explain, trying not to make too much of a show of things; there’s no reason to be an ass about spending more time at a sport.

“...Right, that makes more sense then.” Garma says, nodding in a way that makes you think he’s doing it more to reassure himself than acknowledge any statements on your part, “...Back to it then?”

You both don your masks once more, separate, salute, and begin again at Dozle’s call. The second round has a little more of something resembling sport to it, but it would be a lie to call it anything other than an easy win; he’s still overcorrecting, and there are a few issues of technique and speed that only significantly more practice are likely to solve. The third goes much the same, the bout nearly as clean of a win as you’ve ever managed - The first few when you stopped going easy on Artesia were even worse though, it's just a part of the process.

>>5496261

“You were doing better at the end, Garma.” You try to encourage him, the two of you conversing after the conclusion of your first bout.

“Small comfort,” He says, a hint of that earlier petulance returning, his lips pursing for a moment before something seems to clear within him, “...What was I doing wrong?”

“Some of it’s just speed, there’s not much of a remedy for that besides more practice. Keep going and that should fix itself.” You say with a shrug, “But the bigger issue is that you’re overcorrecting, it was like you were fighting for the previous point.”

He tilts his head slightly, “I’m overthinking things then?”

“No, at least not entirely, you’re just thinking about the wrong things from what I can tell.” You try to explain, finding it a little difficult to come up with the right words, “In this sort of fight you need to be entirely focused on the moment. Nothing in the past, and only a fraction into the future.”

“...Perhaps a different opponent, Garma.” Dozle suggests, looking over to Casval and Artesia who are still mid round. Dozle did say something about Garma needing someone closer to his skill level last night, Artesia would be a much, much closer fit.

“Maybe you’re right, Dozle. Casval perhaps?” Garma says with a remarkable amount of confidence for a person who just got trounced so thoroughly; he has no idea what he’s signing up for with that choice.

>”...Sure.” Garma has sealed his own fate, let him find out on his own.
>”How about Artesia instead? You seemed to get along well earlier.” Dozle might have a point.
>”You might want to be careful what you wish for, Garma. Dozle, how about a few rounds?”
>Write-in.

>>5496265
>”You might want to be careful what you wish for, Garma. Dozle, how about a few rounds?”

>>5496265
>>”How about Artesia instead? You seemed to get along well earlier.” Dozle might have a point.

>>5496265
>”How about Artesia instead? You seemed to get along well earlier.” Dozle might have a point.

>>5496265
1)
>"Are you sure about that? He always beats me when we spar."

2)
>”...Sure.” Garma has sealed his own fate, let him find out on his own.

>>5496265
>”You might want to be careful what you wish for, Garma. Dozle, how about a few rounds?”

All of these options are hilarious. But I'd hate to stop that competitive friendship between Casval and Garma (not like that's going to happen since we just met him).

>>5496265
>>5496283
Support

>>5496265
>>5496283
Changing my vote to just:
>”...Sure.” Garma has sealed his own fate, let him find out on his own.
Felix already introduced himself, time to let Casval have his turn.

>>5496265
Actually, changing my vote back to >>5496283
It might be wiser to give him a heads up, since the situation is different from Char meeting Garma at the Academy.

>>5496270
>>5496285
Dozle pill.

>>5496273
>>5496277
Suggest Artesia.

>>5496318
>>5496319
Warn about Casval. (second option to let it happen)

Three way tie for now, hopefully there will be a winner by the morning.

>>5496347
Meant to have >>5496344 instead of >>5496319 for the third vote split.

>>5496347
>Dozle pill.
Tempting to vote for that just because you word it that way, but if we go with Dozle then Artesia (arguably the weakest) will be left by herself and that's just sad.

>>5496357
I don't think Artesia is going to be that upset if she gets left out for a round or too. Especially if it means she can see us get our ass handed to us.

>>5496369
You have a point, but I'd still rather have her train for a bit since she needs it the most out of all of us.
That and I feel like the warning we give to Garma in that vote won't be enough to get through to him, and he might get his pride a bit hurt from it more than needed (while that might not be an issue if this was a situation with only Char in the Academy like in canon, the fact that he know who we really are and the fact that we're living with all the Zabi family complicates things).

>>5496265
>”You might want to be careful what you wish for, Garma. Dozle, how about a few rounds?”
Let Garma fuck around and find out

>>5496265
I'll commit to what I said in >>5496392 about Artesia needing the training. Changing my vote to

1)
>”How about Artesia instead? You seemed to get along well earlier.” Dozle might have a point.

2)
>"Are you sure about that? He always beats me when we spar."

3)
>”...Sure.” Garma has sealed his own fate, let him find out on his own.

Wait a minute, if we fight Dozle we might get seriously hurt.
As in, not being able to do our daily run tomorrow and miss out on any plotting with our siblings type of hurt.

>>5496401
>>5496285
>>5496270
Anons please reconsider, I don't want this to end up like with Kycilia.
We already overestimated Felix's charm with the most clever Zabi (Kycilia), let's not overestimate his strength against the the strongest member of their family.
I'm sure he won't try to hurt us on purpose, but even Dozle checking himself (though I doubt he will, especially after we didn't hold back with Garma) will still get us beaten the shit out of, badly. Worst case scenario we're out of commission for the rest of the day and miss out on some relatively important things.
If you guys want Garma to spar with Cas, you could always vote for the first choice since me and another anon have it as an alternative option.

Casval will probably be fast enough to properly fight Dozle (he should be fast enough I think). So we can still keep our promise in getting Dozle to spar a bit, if that bothers anyone.

>>5496467
Oh no, anon, you misunderstand. I want us to get our ass beat. It'll be a good learning experience for Felix, and a good way to endear ourselves to Garma by showing us as not being perfect and therefore more approachable.

>>5496506
You want us to potentially spend an entire day out of commission? In what's probably a critical stage in introducing ourselves to the Zabis and finding out more about them? No offense but that's just dumb. We can make it up and be more approachable to Garma eventually, but if we end up unable to do our daily run tomorrow and miss out on something potentially important today I don't think it's worth it.

>>5496509
Rereading this, it came out a bit too aggressive. I don't mean to be an asshole, but I just don't want to get Felix to miss something important.
Besides, he already knows he's not the best fighter, I mean he's Casval's brother.
Though you're right on getting us to be more approachable to Garma, though I feel like the situation could be made worse since he'll probably still spar with Casval and get more frustrated.

>>5496509
>You want us to potentially spend an entire day out of commission?

You are vastly overestimating Dozle's strength. We're not full-contact boxing him, we're whacking each other with swords. The only way we'd actually get put out of commission is if he full-strength clocks us across the head. The worst that would happen is we get a few new bruises and MAYBE (Big Fucking Maybe) a broken bone or two. Besides, Cas and Artesia are the ones with the intrigue focus, Felix has always been a martial boy.

>>5496515
I have to disagree, Felix isn't as powerful as Casval in the martial strength and finesse, he's lost multiple times to him to prove that. I think he realizes that he isn't the best fighter around, and I'm almost certain he knows that he couldn't match up to Dozle in strength and martial knowledge.
I feel it's more likely than you think that Dozle will clock us on the head full-power, though he definitely won't do it on purpose but more as a part of his fighting instinct. He is the strongest and most warlike Zabi, we should take note of that.

I see Felix as more of a middle ground between Casval and Artesia, not really excelling in what his siblings are more focused in but able to adapt to either.

>>5496519
Dozle being "the most warlike Zabi" is why I trust him to not fuck us up too much. He has doubtlessly trained or sparred with many of his underlings and friends, so he absolutely knows how to pace himself to not do any great harm while sparring.

Also, lmao at "his fighting instinct". He's a soldier, not a dragonball character.

>>5496515
>You are vastly overestimating Dozle's strength.
This reminded me too much of my line of thought when voting to seduce Kycilia. Man I still want to punch myself over that one.

>>5496524
That may be true, but we also went all out with Garma so we shouldn't expect him to take it easy on us.

>spoiler
kek
With the power of the seven Big Zams, Dozle will be unstoppable!

>>5496524
The dragonball powers will come after psychoframe sorcery becomes a factor.

>>5496530
As a fellow Kycillia compliment voter, I totally agree. I also misread the fuck out of that vote. I thought we were just gonna compliment her, be nice, try to ingratiate ourselves with the Zabis a bit more, but no, Felix couldn't keep his mostly proverbial dick in his pants.

>>5496534
Yeah, looking back at it I should've at least tried to make a write-in that basically said "if she doesn't seem affected, pass it off as a joke" or "try to genuinely give an innocent compliment, without any innuendos or ulterior meanings."
I trusted his charm way too much, and Felix is too damn horny. But I guess it makes sense since he's still a teenager.
On the bright side that whole situation has made him realize that seducing every woman he meets probably won't end well (though I still don't think he needs a similar lesson from Dozle, I believe Felix knows better than to feel like he's strong enough to take on someone like him).

>>5496265
1)
>”How about Artesia instead? You seemed to get along well earlier.” Dozle might have a point.
2)
>”...Sure.” Garma has sealed his own fate, let him find out on his own.

>>5496530
>Spoiler
Exactly! Think about getting on his good side early and having his ear for cool shit like a wing of Big Zams.
>>5496531
>Psychoframe Big Zam

>>5496265
>>5496347

>”You might want to be careful what you wish for, Garma. Dozle, how about a few rounds?”

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>>5496270
>>5496285
>>5496401
>>5496679
Dozle pill.

>>5496273
>>5496277
>>5496418
>>5496605
Suggest Artesia.

>>5496318
Warn about Casval.

Of course there's another tie! thank you for voting I'll give it an hour and then roll off between Dozle and Artesia if there isn't a winner.

Fixed the previous error, results are still the same I had just messed up on the linking.

>>5496671
We're already on his good side, though it looks like we'll be getting the hell beaten out of us by him. He might even be a bit disappointed that we aren't as strong as he thought.
But a fleet of Big Zams is the dream.

>>5496706
>He might even be a bit disappointed that we aren't as strong as he thought.
Only another excuse for us to seek him out more often to train. And why do you think he's going to kick the shit out of us? This is a fencing bout with a foil in full training armor not bareskin blunt sabers.

>>5496708
This is going to be a mistake. I mean is it worth taking that risk with a huge guy like Dozle going full strength against someone that probably isn't half as good like Felix? Both Dozle and Felix probably know this already too.
>not bareskin blunt sabers.
Hopefully he doesn't say he wants to use them lmao (though I could see him offering it at least)

>>5496713
>This is going to be a mistake.
Nah, it'll be fine. Fencing is an extremely safe sport.
>Is it worth taking that risk with a huge guy like Dozle going full strength
We're not beating on each other with metal sticks at full strength, foils are extremely light and flexible swords designed to bend so people don't get hurt and are predominately used for thrusts. Dozle could strike Felix full strength and the worst that would happen when in training gear is a nice thin bruise.
>Hopefully he doesn't say he wants to use them lmao
If he does I don't think I can stop myself from voting yes. It'd be stupid and dangerous but man do I want to see it.

>>5496722
>If he does I don't think I can stop myself from voting yes. It'd be stupid and dangerous but man do I want to see it.
I don't think you get it but we're in the Zabi mansion, we can't afford to have ourselves be hurt while shit is happening. We need to be there to at least witness things going on, and be physically prepared for anything that might come up.
Not just that but I bet we're still not at full strength from getting kidnapped by that Zaku prototype. I feel like this will be less cool than you think.

>>5496722
Also you're underestimating how strong Dozle is compared to us.

>>5496729
>>5496731
We won't break any bones fencing with a foil, and fencing sabers are still very light and safe. We won't be 'put out of commission' by sparring with Dozle, a far more experienced fencer who know precisely how not to do that, in full training gear.

>Also you're underestimating how strong Dozle is compared to us.
No I think you're overestimating Dozle's desire to outright harm us. He's not the smartest of his family but he's not retarded. He's also probably the most martially competent member of the Zabi's so I expect him to do more than just hit us at 100% with every strike like some sort of gorilla. You do know this is training right? Not a deathmatch?

>>5496736
Dozle doesn't want to harm us, but he won't go easy on us either. He'll probably spar with us just like he'd spar with his best men. I don't believe we can handle that, at least not yet. Casval might be able to, but not us.
I hope you're right about not being put out of commission, but I still think it's very likely we won't be able to do our daily run tomorrow (and plot with our siblings) if we spar with Dozle.

>>5496743
I understand the concern, but I think it's a reasonable risk.
>won't be able to do our daily run tomorrow.
You're in luck! Silver lining, even if we do get our ass handed to us, is that foil strike zones are only center mass (no arm, head, or leg strikes.)

Rolled 1 (1d2)

>>5496702
Alright, rolling it off.
Dozle 1, Artesia 2.

>>5496748
That's good to hear at least. But I still think it's a mistake, especially since Garma will probably have his pride hurt again from sparring with Casval.

Don't tell me I didn't warn you.

>>5496750
Pog, Lets get that big loveable Lug.

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>>5496765
>pog

>>5496770
I'M BEHIND 300 ZAKU'S. Get fucked DOM fag

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>>5496774
based

I just realized something. Having Artesia spar with Garma could've been the start of fostering that crush on Garma's part. It has it's downsides, but man that could've been useful.
Well, there'll probably be more chances for that stuff eventually if we plan to go down that route.

“You might want to be careful what you wish for, Garma.” You warn jokingly, already knowing how that particular bout is going to end, “Dozle, how about a few rounds?”

“...He’s better than you, isn’t he?” Garma asks before Dozle can respond, “Well, I won’t go down without a fight.”

“Hoho, that’s the spirit, Garma.” Dozle rumbles in encouragement, balling one his huge fists, “And a bout sounds excellent, Felix.”

“Good luck.” You say to Garma as he moves over toward Casval and Artesia, the two of them just finishing their own match - You’d watch, but there are bigger matters to be dealt with for now, “Foil still, Dozle?”

“Yes.” Dozle confirms, retrieving his own which looks almost comically small in his gigantic hand, “I prefer saber, but it’s not taught at the academy.”

“Perhaps it could be?” You suggest, far more comfortable with it as a sport, but Dozle is already shaking his head.

“I control the academy, not time. Preparations for next year have already been made.” Dozle says in disappointment, “Budgets and such are set, boring but important to keep things.”

You sigh, disappointed but not all that surprised, though you suspect if he really wanted to the change could be made anyways, Zabis being as they are, “Mm, I guess that makes sense. …You don’t think I went too hard on Garma, do you?”

Dozle glances towards his younger brother for a moment, confirming that he’s already distracted by conversation with Casval and Artesia before speaking, “No, not at all, it was still closer to his skill level. You realize I’ll have to win back the honor of our family now?”

“...Of course, I should have seen that coming.” You say with a chuckle, “Alright, let’s get to it then.”

Thankfully this is foil, if you were doing any sort of unarmed sparring the idea of going up against Dozle would be genuinely frightening; here he just has a big advantage in reach, and probably experience, but that’s offset by his chest being a rather large target.

You and Dozle don your masks and move to your positions on the piste.

“I’ll call both!” Artesia offers, and you look over to see Casval and Garma readying themselves for their own bout on the other piste.

You give her a nod and turn back to Dozle, and the two of you exchange mutual salutes and then ready yourselves to fight. There’s a moment of stillness, a second or so of contemplating the match to come, and you look out through the mesh of your mask and try to take in the details of Dozle’s stance - He’s clearly well trained and practiced, and you’ve never been up against anyone nearly that tall. Reach is going to be a serious problem.

“Allez!” Artesia shouts, and the two matches begin.

>Press the attack! It’s risky, but getting within his reach is crucial.
>Remain defensive for now, get a feel for his skill level, maybe an opportunity will present itself.
>Write-in.

>>5496812
>Press the attack! It’s risky, but getting within his reach is crucial.
I think his skill level can be summed up as 'better than us.' Being overly aggressive might throw him off a bit and let us get in a point.

>>5496812
>Remain defensive for now, get a feel for his skill level, maybe an opportunity will present itself.
We'll lose either way, let's just try not to get hurt too badly.
Dozle isn't pulling any punches by what he said.

>>5496812
>>Remain defensive for now, get a feel for his skill level, maybe an opportunity will present itself.

>>5496815
It won't. He's too good at this sort of thing, he'll be prepared for it.
Trying to throw him off at his own game will go badly.

>>5496812
>Press the attack! It’s risky, but getting within his reach is crucial.
Defending gives us no particular advantage and lets him build up momentum.

>>5496820
He'll get momentum either way. We need to know more first about how he spars, it's our only chance to actually put up a fight (or more likely just lose with some dignity).

>>5496812

>Press the attack! It’s risky, but getting within his reach is crucial.

>>5496812

>Press the attack! It’s risky, but getting within his reach is crucial.

He has Reach, and size over us. We literally need to get in and under his guard to do anything. Be the speedy bee

>>5496850
That would be Casval, not us. We aren't as fast as Casval to pull this off.

>>5496852
That doesn't change a thing, You still need to get under and in his guard. Otherwise it won't even be an ATTEMPT at winning.

>>5496858
Yes it does, Felix isn't as good as Casval in any form of physical fight, especially one that puts an emphasis on speed. Dozle will see any attack we immediately go for. He's sparred many times before, and will be able to counter it easily. We don't even have a read on what his attacking style is, like if he specializes in countering reckless students for example.
We can always get under his guard later, but right now it's possible we might lose badly from just going all in.
Besides we shouldn't try so hard we actually get hurt from it. This is a spar, and Dozle won't hold back in trying to beat us at after his whole 'for Zabi honor' line.

>>5496815
>>5496820
>>5496833
>>5496850
Writing.

You surge forward, a quick pair of steps moving you within distance of Dozle, the huge man easily moving backward to compensate. Dozle attacks, and you recognize the feint in time and parry, follow through with a riposte, straining to get close enough, a counter parry and riposte by Dozle forcing you to hastily abort. Dozle presses, meeting aggression with aggression, but you try to stay on the offensive - There’s a lightning fast exchange, years of practice lending an unexpected speed to the huge man, though not as quick as Casval, and your heart sinks as you feel the push of his foil’s point against your chest, your own striking his arm.

A point for Dozle, nothing for you - Getting past he reach is still crucial though, there’s no way around that, but with those huge arms of his it’s more difficult that you expected to get an on target hit. You reset and continue at Artesia’s call.

A touch of luck carries you through this time, an extremely aggressive lunge bringing you past Dozle’s guard and managing to land a hit to his… Actually you’re not sure if that was on target, it was very near the edge of his sleeve, a very close thing.

“A hit.” Dozle rumbles from behind his mask, ever the sportsman, and you reset and continue with the round. A point for each of you, and a tight opening to the bout.

The rest of the round isn’t nearly so much in your favor, Dozle landing hit after hit - He’s taken your measure as a fighter now, and between his reach and years of experience there’s only so much you can do. …Truth be told he’s not quite as good as Casval at many things, but that probably has more to do with a lack of time to practice than any lack of aptitude, and his reach makes him a menace - For such a mountain of a man he’s very light on his feet, and you almost shudder at the thought of facing him in a fight were her could meaningfully leverage his immense strength.

As your first round concludes you stop briefly to observe Casval and Garma, already well into their second round - It’s going about as badly as you’d expected for Garma, but to his credit he’s sticking with it. Still, you can’t help but notice Artesia wincing every time your brother lands a hit, he’s really handing Garma his ass. You refrain from commenting mid round, and return to your own match with Dozle.

…A match which you already suspect can’t be won, but there’s still some hope at least.

“Allez!” Artesia calls once more, and you carry on your aggressive streak. The first two points are Dozle’s, wispy thin blades meeting in a string of attacks and parries, footwork carrying you both forward and back across the piste.

>>5496923

Dozle’s the better fencer, but slowly you begin to get a sense of him and find it easier to slip past his guard, snagging another point, and then another. It’s almost as if Dozle is moving more slowly, submerged in unseen water and struggling to push through, a great shadow spreading out behind him and revealing his moves even before he makes them. The peculiar flashes of awareness clue you into Dozle’s intentions the tiniest fraction of a second before he acts, his emotions almost palpable in the air, nearly oppressive in their intensity, and this gives you just enough of an edge to bring you back into something resembling competition.

You’re not going to win, but it won’t be an embarrassment. …It’s still going to be a handy win for Dozle though. The second round comes and goes, as does the third, Dozle comfortably in the lead as he lands the final touch of the match.

You separate and salute, and then remove your masks; Dozle has a big dumb grin spread across his scarred face, and he lets out a tremendously deep laugh.

“That was a great match, Felix!” Dozle thunders, stomping over toward you, “What a third round!”

“Nearly turned it around on you,” You say, stopping to catch your breath, “Very well fought, Dozle.”

“I haven’t had a match like that in ages.” Dozle declares happily, though his attention is soon directed elsewhere, “Casval, how about one?”

“Of course.” You brother agrees, stepping away from Garma, the two of them having been observing the end of your match with Dozle. You more or less trade places with him, standing near Artesia and Garma as the two best fencers in the hall get ready to face off.

“Great work there, Felix.” Garma says, though you can already tell he’s a bit mopey, arms crossed and brow furrowed slightly, “It’s nice to see a match that isn’t a lockout.”

“You did really well, Garma.” Artesia says quietly, giving the young Zabi a sympathetic look, “Casval beats everyone, I think I’ve only ever seen Felix win against him once.”

Artesia’s words seem to buoy Garma a bit, “...Thanks. So you put up with them like this all the time?”

“Mhm.” Artesia confirms, “Isn’t that right, Felix?”

“If you mean we don’t hold back, then yes.” You say with a shrug, a strange noise of squeaking metal drawing your attention to the hall’s door briefly, “...After she got a handle on the basics we stopped with any of that.”

“How about a match, Garma?” Artesia asks, flicking him playfully with her foil and turning his cheeks a bit red again, “Felix, you don’t mind taking a break, do you?”

>”A match? And miss Casval and Dozle? Come on, wait a few minutes. This is going to be a show.”
>”Not at all, I’ll call the match. I could use a break anyways.”
>”...Was somebody just at the door?”
>Write-in.

>>5496927
>1)”...Was somebody just at the door?”
>2)”Not at all, I’ll call the match. I could use a break anyways.”
As long as that door option isn't Felix looking for a way out.

I'm glad to see that I was wrong on most of the things I said.

>>5496927
1)
>”Not at all, I’ll call the match. I could use a break anyways.”

2)
>”Not at all, I’ll call the match. I could use a break anyways.”
>”...Was somebody just at the door?”

This should be fun. Besides, we're already exhausted from going with the big guy himself.
It's probably Vivima at the door, isn't it?

>>5496933
>Spoiler
That's what I'm thinking. I'd be interested if we can get her in on this.

>>5496935
Yeah, it sounds like fun.

>>5496931
>As long as that door option isn't Felix looking for a way out.
I was worried it might be that, which is why I combined the two votes for the second option.

>>5496938
>the second option.
*my second option

>>5496927
>”...Was somebody just at the door?”
>”Not at all, I’ll call the match. I could use a break anyways.”

Obviously we'd need to watch ourselves around Vivima, since she's likely to report anything we do to Kycilia, but getting a good read on her character is important (and it's unlikely she'll try to do anything bad since Garma and Dozle are around).

>>5496947
And there's a chance she'll talk to Gihren about us too sometime, so there's that to worry about.
This is all implying it's her to begin with. For all we know it might be Glemy or Mink (though I still think it's more likely to be Vivi).

>>5496927
>”...Was somebody just at the door?”
>”Not at all, I’ll call the match. I could use a break anyways.”

>>5496927
>1)”...Was somebody just at the door?”
>2)”Not at all, I’ll call the match. I could use a break anyways.”
[Perception] engaged

>>5496955
>>5496943
>>5496933
Writing.

“Not at all, I’ll call the match. I could use a break anyways.” You say, glad to have some time to breathe but already finding your attention drawn back to the door, “...Was somebody just at the door?”

“I didn’t hear anything.” Garma says dismissively, “It was probably just one of the servants cleaning.”

“I didn’t hear anything either.” Artesia says, idly brushing back her hair, her focus almost entirely on Garma.

“...I’m going to check.” You say, unsatisfied. It’s more your vision rather than your hearing, but you’ve always been more perceptive than most people, and you know someone was just there.

Garma and Artesia busy themselves getting their masks back on and moving into position as you stride across the wooden floor of the chamber, quickly reaching the hand carved door and opening it. Other than the lavish decorations there’s nothing to be seen, the hallways outside is empty. You stick your head out a bit further to get a better look around, a few of the half recessed pillars blocking your sight...

“Heya!” A young sounding voice calls out to your right, and you look down to see a blond haired boy of perhaps five years old staring up at you. His bright blue eyes meet your own, an innocent grin spread across his face, “...May we come in?”

Huh, polite kid, though you’re not sure what he means by ‘we’.

You start to say something before a finger taps you on the shoulder, startling you just slightly. You turn around to find yourself face to face with a girl of nearly your own height, her violet eyes searching over your from head to toe, taking your measure, a mischievous smirk spread across her face; Vivima Zabi.

“Hello, Felix.” She almost coos, leaning against the wall pillar she must’ve been hiding behind a moment ago, her voice clear and pretty, “I’ve been looking forward to meeting you for years.”

She’s wearing a dark leather pilot’s jacket and a black blouse, tight pants and black boots completing the almost classic look of a teenage delinquent. Though her features are familiar from portraits around the palace, her shoulder length feathered hair is darker than you expected, but still unmistakably similar Garma’s, and she wears little to no makeup. She smells faintly of flowers… but you’re not quite sure what kind.

You blink, unsure of how to respond for a moment, and Glemy slips past your legs and into the fencing hall, shouting a greeting to Garma - But you’re hardly focused on that right now. You’re not abandoning calling their match, but it can wait for a few seconds at least, you didn't expect this.

>”I’m sure you have, Vivima. The others are inside... Do you fence?” Don’t let her rattle you.
>”...Hello, Vivima.” Let her play her game for a bit.
>”Cute, but you’ll have to try harder than that, Vivima. Half expected we’d need to hunt you down to the simulator to finally meet.” Return fire!
>Write-in.

>>5497033
>”I’m sure you have, Vivima. The others are inside... Do you fence?” Don’t let her rattle you.
Nope, let's not engage. Especially not with Garma and Dozle just around the corner.
Besides, didn't we literally say we wouldn't try risky seduction earlier?

>>5497033
>>”I’m sure you have, Vivima. The others are inside... Do you fence?” Don’t let her rattle you.
The others are still waiting for us to call the matches

>>5497033
>”Cute, but you’ll have to try harder than that, Vivima. Half expected we’d need to hunt you down to the simulator to finally meet.” Return fire!

>>5497033
>"It's great to finally meet you as well Vivima."
>"Come in, I'm about to call a fencing match between Artesia and Garma, and Dozle and Casval are about to have one as well. I'm sure your brothers would love if you watched."

>>5497033
>”I’m sure you have, Vivima. The others are inside... Do you fence?” Don’t let her rattle you.

>>5497046
And this is to be polite, not flirt.
I feel I have to specify, given how previous votes ended up.

>>5497048
You don't understand we MUST flirt with every woman we come across.

>>5497050
I have a strong desire too but the line 'I've been looking forward to meeting you for years.' Is an even bigger red flag than the conversation with Kycilia. I think we should be polite and partially ignore her attempts at us. She seems super competitive so it might drive her up the wall better than just outright flirting.

>>5497033
>"I'm sure you have, Vivima. The others are inside... Do you fence?" Don't let her rattle you.
Fool me once...

>>5497052
Damn you, you make a valid point But I must stay the course.

>>5497052
I think Kycilia told her to flirt with us, because of what happened at dinner.

>>5497033
>”I’m sure you have, Vivima. The others are inside... Do you fence?” Don’t let her rattle you.

>>5497033
>>”I’m sure you have, Vivima. The others are inside... Do you fence?” Don’t let her rattle you.

>>5497063
Absolutely, and that's dangerous. Kycilia will absolutely use Viv against us if she thinks she can. If we make Vivima come to us on her own volition then that's a different story.
>>5497062
I understand, anon, do what you must.

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>>5497033
"You were looking forward to meeting me for years? Forgive me if I find that hard to believe, especially when your brother told me he thought us Deikuns were gone for good from what talks he heard. Anyway, I have a match to call. Perhaps you'd like to join us?"
No flirting, play it cool but keep it friendly. That line left me curious as to whether she's been keeping tabs on us with Kycillia, they were keeping Garma pretty out of the loop until recently or if this is just bait for teasing. Hopefully she'll bite.

>>5497074
>Vivima come to us on her own volition then that's a different story.
That's pretty hopeful, especially considering that she was almost assassinated by a terrorist group funded by Jimba. Getting us and our siblings out of the picture is probably very important to her.
Unless you're talking about us following her somewhere physically, in which case I agree.

>>5497084
This looks like a fun write-in. I'd put my vote on it if it gets more support.