Celestia's Finest: Love the Shiner (Side Story)

[D.KnightSpider]

The weighted bag rocked back and forth on its chains as Sniper Scope worked it over. He drove hoof after hoof into the punching bag-- all the while trying to remember his lessons on proper form and technique. Boxing was new to him and his recent match with Brazen taught him that there was still much to learn.

The ability to take out his frustrations on an intimate, unfeeling object was welcome therapy. While talking to Lassie, who sat off to one side watching this display, helped vent his emotional frustration, attacking a punching bag helped take the edge off of his anger and hatred. It felt good to pour his negative emotions into the bag.

Even better, there was no pony else around the training room right now. There were no distractions from his working therapy. It was just him, a nice workout, and a robotic dog. He could live with that.

[Elbeyon]

The door to the gym opens off to his side, and Love walks through. She's walking on her hind legs carrying her gym bag. A wooden sword interweaves and rests on her bag's straps. A quick look around by her, it's obvious she spots Scope. A hoof goes to her chin for a few moments before she shrugs and walks over to him.

If there was always something she could appreciate about Scope it was his strong back. Wasn't it that he had some ware installed so he could walk on his hind legs? At least every pony wasn't scared of wanting to be better, different. Two ponies walking on their back legs and on the same team, what a spectacular sight.

She takes the spot next to him, putt her bag/Chompy down near Lassie, and starts beating down the target with her bare hooves. An appraising eye would put the two matched on strength with Scope a bit more skilled. Maybe, it was the armor last mission getting in her way, or a new-found skill, but Love is much improved over her past performance.

[D.KnightSpider]

Sniper watched Rose of our the corner of his eye for a long moment. It was odd, seeing another bipedal pony. Most of his sparring and matches had been against normal ponies on all fours.

It made him curious.

"So..." Some extended the invitation with bored disinterest. "... do you want to spar a few rounds?"

[Elbeyon]

Like a tremendous griffin had just been lifted off her shoulders, Love nearly folds in half in relief. A quick sigh signalling away her stress. "Oh, Thank you! I was afraid I was going to have to do this whole workout in silence."

She straightens back up and flashes him a smile. "So, you prefer your brain or your face? Don't worry on my part. You can't hurt me. Boxing gloves are great for brain damage. Hooves will cut you up real nice. Or, do you prefer wrestling?" Love motions toward's herself in a competitive spirit. "Little harm in that."

[D.KnightSpider]

Well... that was an interesting reaction.

"I've already wrecked my face, I doubt you could do any more damage." Sniper replied. "Nevertheless, I think I'll get the protective gear. It did well enough when Brazen and I threw down."

He moved to an adjacent corner of the gym and began withdrawing the aforementioned padding from a locker.

"I box, so that's my contest of choice. Although I should probably look into wrestling given my track record."

[Elbeyon]

Love waves her fingerless hooves dismissively. "I was just having a bit of fun. Protective gear is a go. Boxing, go it. I'm not sure if I really have a style. I sort of learned to fight on the streets, not by some book or teacher."

Love moves over to her bag and starts pulling out her personal gear. Its protective properties matching Scope's gear.

Digging deep, she says, "Your face is fine. You're not ugly are you or what?" She's not too sure herself. He seemed average by the conventionality standard, but maybe she was wrong. She gave him a teasing smile while moving more toward the center of the room.

She pounds her gloves together to make sure they're fitted properly. "I've been reading some of those books you showed me from your collection. They're not bad. I suppose that's why they're classics though, right? Not usually my reading material, but they're sitting with me alright."

[D.KnightSpider]

Digging deep, she says, "Your face is fine. You're not ugly are you or what?" She's not too sure herself. He seemed average by the conventionality standard, but maybe she was wrong. She gave him a teasing smile while moving more toward the center of the room.

"I suppose we're even then, that was my attempt at humor." It was a half truth. Sniper didn't want to dwell on the many times he'd torn his face up in brawls.


She pounds her gloves together to make sure they're fitted properly. "I've been reading some of those books you showed me from your collection. They're not bad. I suppose that's why they're classics though, right? Not usually my reading material, but they're sitting with me alright."

"Film Noir and Pulp Fiction are a cynic's paradise. Shadow Spade, in particular, is often overlooked in this day and age."

Sniper raised himself upright and then settled himself into a loose stance. Again, he noted how odd it felt to be facing a two-legged opponent.

"But, enough about me. What about you? What's it like being your own hive mind? I'm still not fully sure why or how you do that."

He'd been picked at enough lately. The best way to get the conversation off of himself was to make Love the center of attention.

[Elbeyon]

Love smiles at the joke after the fact.

Love nodded at his insights. She planned to try to talk about something they both semi-liked, but she's not even sure she could trust herself to stay on topic when Scope is involved.

"I don't consider myself a hive mind. A hive mind isn't even that well defined anyway. I'm sort of one mind. When I'm multi-tasking I am not telepathically communicating or something like that. I can send a text faster than most other ponies, but I rely on traditional forms of communication."

Love shuffles on her two legs, exposes her neck, and taps on her jaw.

"I don't like to start fights. You get the first swing. Give me the strong stuff!" She semi-shouts at him at the end there.

[D.KnightSpider]

Sniper took a single step forward and drove his right hoof forward in a quick jab. With an invitation like that, what else was he supposed to do?.

Boxing
[roll0] VS 13

[Elbeyon]

Love wrenches her arm up to guide his arm in a deflect while she drops into a low spin kick to try to sweep his legs.

Brawling
[roll0] vs 11 = 12 (Brawling p. 182) - 1 (Grapple Leg/Trip p. 370 & Location Leg p. 399))

[D.KnightSpider]

Sniper's wings beat once, carrying him up and over Love's leg sweep. He dropped back to the ground and brought his hooves up to guard his face. His eyes narrowed as he studied the way Love moved and reacted.

"So let me rephrase the question. What's it like being you and having so many bodies to control?"

Taking an evaluate makeover.

[Elbeyon]

Love spins back up into a humanoid position, then treads water while she takes a moment to talk.

"It feels entirely natural in the moment. If you were in my position now, you probably couldn't even tell. I only experience one body at a time. Course, I'm just a portion of me, partly running off my brain, partly supported by a computer. Except, I'm not one pony when I'm split up. I live eleven different lives every day. I spent one here with you, the team. I spend the rest doing something else. Not to belittle our time together, we do spend hours together every day, but this mission, this team, is only one-eleventh of my day. A significant, but smaller than most would imagine part of my day."

Love herself is eyeing her opponent. When she sees it's her "turn" again, and he's going to let her hit first she does a quick hop back and somersaults towards him. Not a traditional or smart move by most standards. A hoof comes down straight at his shoulder. Should be easy enough to dodge. Her second hoof comes down at his dodging leg. Another trip attempt, it seems.

All-Out Attack (p. 365) Feint & Attack!

Feint! (p. 365)
[roll0] vs 12 (Brawling p. 182)

Trip! (p. 370)
[roll1] vs 11 = 12 (Brawling p. 182) - 1 (Grapple Leg/Trip p. 370 & Location Leg p. 399)

[D.KnightSpider]

Love's makeover was crazy, but not quite so crazy as to work. Sniper retreated just enough to sidestep the feint. A quick twist of his cybernetic leg deflected the flow up kick.

Then, taking advantage of Love's recklessness. Sniper snapped forward and drove his right hoof at Love's chin.

[roll0] VS 9 (13 Skill + 1 Evaluate - 5 Target : Face)

[Elbeyon]

Love's chin follows along while her skull stays put. A solid hit. Anyone watching would have felt that one. Love did. She motions for him to back away and reset.

A few feet back, she wiggles her jaw under its own power and gets back into a fighting posture.

"Good hit!" She seems pretty pleased with him. "How'd you like that?" She seems pretty pleased with herself too.

[D.KnightSpider]

Sniper's left eyebrow raised while the rest of him resumed his earlier posture and stance. He shifted his weight foreward to help him react faster.

"It was a solid hit. The first of many rounds between us."

What else was there to it? Was he supposed to be fond or giddy over landing a punch? He'd rather not go there.

"I vaguely remember this coming up on Tartarus, but I can't quite remember details. Why do you use those drone bodies in the first place?"

He brought his hooves up and prepared to go another round.

[Elbeyon]

Love tilts her head. "Are you not having fun?"

"I do because I can!" She chuckles. "No, I'm not physically qualified to work in the military. The doctors took out a little too much of me and there wasn't enough left on the pavement to scrap into service. My discharge was only a matter of time, one higher up that disliked my bot use, until the EDF took me in."

Love throws a couple straightforward punches his way before slipping past him, and trying to peg him in the scapula.

Move behind Scope and attack him in the back. (It turns out both Scope and Love are fast enough to back attack each other in a single round (only when standing up.))

All-Out Attack (p. 365) Double Punch!

Attack 1!
[roll0] vs 12 (Brawling p. 182)

Attack 2!
[roll1] vs 12 (Brawling p. 182)

[D.KnightSpider]

"'Left on the pavement'? You were in an accident?"

He wasn't about to answer her first question. Sure, let the stallion with a history of domestic abuse enjoy socking a mare on the jaw. There's no way that could backfire.

Sniper twisted aside, prompting both of Love's jabs to miss. He turned about to face Love and responded in kind by driving another punch toward her chin.

Boxing
[roll0] VS 8 (13 Skill - 5 Target: Face)

I took a quick look through the books and didn't see anything about back attack bonuses/penalties. It seems like something should be there on the subject?

[Elbeyon]

She ducks it.

"Aw, you never noticed my flaws. You're so sweet."

Love punches him in the face. (Tries)

"It was years ago. Entirely my fault, I attempted a trick in a high speed chase, and I crashed. The scars are well hidden, but they're still there."

She jokes. "Hey, if you ever want a pretty face, just ask? You know, if you get tired of your wrecked face."

Face Punch!
[roll0] vs 7 = 12 (Brawling p. 182) - 5 (Hit Location (Face) p. 399)

Active defense requires the defender to be aware of the attack. A foe attacking from smoke or the back generally can't be defended against. We should probably not do back attacks this fight, or that becomes the clear cut optimal choice for every attack. We'd be spinning in circles the entire fight. :smallamused:

I was thinking that roughly equal skilled opponents/lowish skill seem rather dodgey against each other. Then, I remembered it only takes one hit to end a fight. A fighter really does want to avoid every hit.

[D.KnightSpider]

Love's strike goes wide. Sniper shifts slightly to avoid it.

"I've had as many surgeries as I care for. Thanks for the offer though."

He ducked to the side and then fired another jab at Love.

"A high speed chase? Were you the cop, criminal or just trying to catch a wayward lover?"

Ah. That makes sense. *scribbles notes* You can take an auto dodge and land an epic counter this turn since that last bit should have been yours. :smallwink:

[Elbeyon]

She steps back, taking a page from his retreat earlier.

Love looks like she is containing a laugh and barely managing. "I must live a very interesting life in your view."

She shakes her head. "I was the guard. It's not an interesting story. I got a call, and I responded. I wrecked during the chase."

Love taps near her bot's broken horn. "That's when my horn broke too. It wasn't a very good day."

She gives him a reassuring smile to try to show that she doesn't mind talking about it. That, and she tries to give him a gut punch.

Popping smokes for the team is really nice for both defense and offense (assuming smoke hinders the opponent).

Don't worry about it. The back attack was super super cheap anyway. It's your turn to attack. :smallbiggrin:

[D.KnightSpider]

"More exciting than mine. Military brat. Military life. No deviancy from it."

Sniper sidestepped the blow. He kept his guard up, head down and senses sharp. He didn't make a move, though. Instead he was primed to observe and react.

Evaluate Maneuver.

[Elbeyon]

"Maybe, but that life doesn't sound so bad. I'd trade for that."

"Destitution. Child solider. Military life. Following the light."

Love just couldn't hit this pony. He's so evasive. Maybe, she could overwhelm or tire him out. She had confidence in her bot's durability.

She put her right foreleg to guard, and started punching away with her dominant hoof. A single gut punch, something. She just needed to land a hit to start eroding him down.

All-Out Attack (p. 365) Attack! & Attack!

Attack! (p. 365)
[roll0] vs 12 (Brawling p. 182)

Attack! (p. 365)
[roll1] vs 12 (Brawling p. 182)

[D.KnightSpider]

Unfortunately for Love, Sniper was pushing himself to compete with Rainbow Dash's speed. Love was no Rainbow Dash. He snapped both forelegs back and forth, in turn, deflecting her jabs.

In a repeat performance, Sniper slipped in and drove an uppercut at Love's chin.

Boxing
[roll0] VS 9 (13 Skill + 1 Evaluate - 5 Target: Face)

[Elbeyon]

Love's body follows the blow and into a step back as she tries to recover.

She waves him off again. Another solid point for him. Another rest for her.

"My other selves. The part of me that's away from the squad every day. I'm not living it up. I'm not having fun. Not for the most part. I slave away endlessly, feverishly. Every day is eleven. Every three days is a month. Every month is a year. I'm tired. I'm exhausted. I'm bored. Since, we've started the mission I've spent three month working on the same math problem. I'm not even half way done."

She looks him over.

Evaluate!

[D.KnightSpider]

Sniper shook his head.

"This entire match you've been all flash and flair. You don't leave much room to defend yourself or counter incoming attacks." It was an observation, not an insult. "If you live the rest of your life the same way you fight, I'll easily believe that you're burning yourself out all the time. It seems like a crazy way to live-- that's just me, though."

He brought his forelegs up and waited to see Love's response.


Evaluation Stalemate!

[Elbeyon]

She kept her guard up and footwork hot.

"I don't think I've ever told anyone that."

"It's not bad living a hermit's life. It's not only what I've said. There is plenty of good too. I happen to do a lot of social 'living' on the squad."

"I've lived over a year since our last mission." She shakes her head. Why am I telling him this? "I've known you for nearly a decade."

Evaluation Combo x2!

[D.KnightSpider]

"Funny, I don't feel a decade older."

Sniper kept his attention focused on reading Love's body language and tracing her movements. He wasn't going to be caught off guard.

"So where's the here and now for you? If you're spread out so much, how do you know where the central you ends and begins?"

I'll see your Evaluation and raise you another.

[Elbeyon]

"I feel a decade older. I've known you longer than you've known me. And, that's without time traveling! Pretty cool."

Who will break first? Who will make the first move? Love's been full offensive until now. She keeps her feet hot and her forelegs in position. She doesn't strike yet.

"The me here and now... I really am here. Part of me runs off my brain, part of me runs off the tiny computer in this bot body. I muddy the waters when it comes to living it and remote controlling it. The remote part is unconscious. So, what some would call a consciousness is here."

"Where I begin and end... It all begins at my body, and ends where it ends..."

"No one has been this curious about the details of my abilities. I have a secret Scope. Something, I've never told anyone."

Maximum evaluation!!!

[D.KnightSpider]

"It's up to you if you want to share it. I'm not trying to pry, just understand. You're... a very different individual who doesn't always make sense to me. That's why there was so much frustration between us."

Sniper worked his shoulders. He shifted back and forth between his hooves. It was a contest of patience at this point and he had patience in abundance.

EVALUATION LIMIT REACHED

[Elbeyon]

Love shakes her head. "I want to tell you. I feel like I'm always prying into your life. It's only fair if you get a look at the things I don't openly tell others."

"My interest in A.I is a bit selfish. I love my sisters. I do. The idea's behind them affect me too though."

"Where I begin and end."

"I've never shared this with anyone for fear of what could happen to me. When I stretch my mind. The strings attaching my split minds to me feel optional. I think I can separate my mind from itself and create an entirely new me free from the rest."

"The way the girls are around. I think I could do something like that to me. Create a copy of me. I don't know if I could rejoin with them, and I've never been brave enough to try. I think I could create an A.I versions of myself not a part of me."

Love lowers herself into a different stance. Primed for a low kick or a thrusting punch. She quick steps the distant between them, plants a hoof on the ground followed by another, and launches a quick open hoof thrust, barreling, toward his chest.

Attack! Love needs a crit! <7
[roll0]vs 17 = 12 Brawl + 4 All-out! + 3 Eval -2* Deceptive
*-1 Active Defenses

[Elbeyon]

Love is Lucky!

[roll0]vs 17 = 12 Brawl + 4 All-out! + 3 Eval -2* Deceptive
*-1 Active Defenses

[roll1]vs 17 = 12 Brawl + 4 All-out! + 3 Eval -2* Deceptive
*-1 Active Defenses

The best applies.

[D.KnightSpider]

The very thought of spinning off a new intelligence rattled him. If Twilight's experiments bothered him, then Love's revelation threatened to infuriate him. He managed to clamp down on the anger as he ducked beneath Love's punch.

Sniper planted his back hoof and launched himself into one, final uppercut.

Attack:
[roll0] VS 15 (13 Skill + 3 Evaluate + 4 All Out Attack - 5 Target: Face)

[Elbeyon]

Love gets decked. She falls to the floor onto her back, spread eagle.

The silence hangs unbroken by Love for a few seconds.

"Nothing?" she asks. Does he have nothing to say to her secret?

[D.KnightSpider]

Sniper took several steps back, then dropped back to all fours. He began unfastening the safety gloves. He was three for three. It was time to call it.

"You felt my initial response." Sniper informed Love. He started taking deep breathes to show his pulsing anger. "Which was an unfair reaction. I'm sorry for that. I lost control for a split second.

"Hearing Twilighy talk of true AI bothers me. Knowing what she did troubles me. Hearing that you think you can spin off new ones at will-- that outright angered me. But you haven't actually done that, so I shouldn't be upset."

He gave Love a look that asked for validation that she hadn't actually tried making a new AI.

[Elbeyon]

Love starts to take her gear off too.

"Oh? You hit me in anger?" She asks him. There is a pause. "We should do this again sometime. Yeah, I'd enjoy that."

Love returns his look and shakes her head. "I've never done it. I'll probably never do it. Maybe, if I'm dying?" She doesn't sound sure, but she wasn't about to lie to him. She's thought about this a bit, and that's the only situation she could think of were she'd want another her around.

She pats the floor next to her.

[D.KnightSpider]

Only if she were dying. Sniper could accept that. Not every pony was as comfortable with death as he was. Most ponies would fight hard to avoid death. He was abnormal in his wishes... But then he was also just barely a pony in the first place.

He shook the thoughts away before they could lead him into depression. He'd already been down that road too many times.

"... You're a strange pony, Love." Sniper admitted. "But that's why we like you, I suppose. Never thought some pony would be glad to see me get angry.

"All this talk of creating new personalities and life. I'll admit I don't like it."

Sniper took a seat, albeit one across from Love instead of beside her.

[Elbeyon]

"Am I strange?" she asks like she doesn't believe it.

"'We like you?' Could you narrow that down to I like you?" She teasingly smiles toward the ceiling, not lowering her head to see him.

She admits, "I am glad to see you angry. You bottle everything up. A tiny release is better than an inopportune explosion." Love brings her forelegs together and moves them apart. "Boom."

"You told Rose our secrets because you feared the potential backlash, but you are doing the same thing, only, to yourself."

"An angry person doesn't get better by ignoring the problem. They have to work through learning to properly express those emotions healthily. It's hard. It sucks. But, it's the only way. Course, I'm speaking in general. I don't know what you feel."

[D.KnightSpider]

Sniper closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Truth be told, he wanted, ever so much, to explode on Love right that moment. His heart yearned to unload on her and tell him how he truly felt. She'd asked for it.

Once again, the conversation turned into a referendum on himself. It was the same old song and dance: 'Sniper Scope was broken and has to be fixed'. He was tired of hearing it.

But he couldn't explode. Not when he'd invited the comment. He'd lapsed, relaxed, and opened himself up to the correction. To explode now would be a bait and switch and he wasn't going to go there.

He exhaled, expelling all of the anger and frustration. His mental guard came back up.

"Duly noted." He said. "Is there anything else?"

[Elbeyon]

"I'm sorry." She sighs. "I did it again didn't I?"

[D.KnightSpider]

"You're being you. You see a problem and you have to fix it. Just like how you see something unknown and can't leave it be."

Sniper got back up and began putting the equipment away. He didn't know what else to do.

"There's nothing wrong with that."

No. The problem was that he was just overly sensitive. Sniper added it to the long list of character defects requiring his attention.

[Elbeyon]

Love keeps laying. She closes her eyes and starts relaxing. "Do you want me to shut up or keep talking?"

[D.KnightSpider]

Keeping silent would probably be torture for her. He was a murder, not a sadist.

"Go ahead and talk, I won't stop you."

Sniper continued cleaning up their mess.

[Elbeyon]

"... Alright, I'll keep talking, but I'll keep it short. And, tell me to stop if you want me to stop. I don't have a problem with you. I hope you know that. Like I said last time. I just want you to be happy." Short and sweet. "I'm good at taking hits." She chuckles. "You saw that. I want you to feel comfortable enough with me that you'll voice complaints. You're allowed to say hurtful things to me, you know?"

"I want you to be happy. I love you, pony."

[D.KnightSpider]

Sniper shut the door to the locker a little harder than strictly necessary. 'Aggravated' was the best word to describe his situation.

"That's the second time you've said that and I have no idea what you mean." Her words meant precious little. Love was always throwing her affections around or declaring random strangers to be family. It was to the point he suspected she didn't even know that proper relationships meant.

Then again, it wasn't like he understood that either.

[Elbeyon]

She lazily opens an eye. "I don't mind explaining myself."

"I have a strong affection for you. I admire you. Attached. Devoted. Loyal. Kind. Compassion. Passion. Concerned. Relatable. Intimacy."

"I feel those things for you." She opens her other eye. "Why? Do you not believe me?"

[D.KnightSpider]

"I don't know." Sniper admitted. "I want to believe you. I've also seen you throw yourself at ponies so often that I don't know what to think. But if that's who you are, then okay. I can live with that."

He signaled Lassie to begin following him. He didn't anticipate being here much longer.

[Elbeyon]

"It doesn't have to be this way. I could wire us together like I did Rainbow Dash. You could feel my feelings for yourself." Like that would ever happen. The thought would make her laugh in a less serious situation.

"I can't prove to you how I feel." Love brings her hooves up to her heart. "Those feelings are what I feel."

"Some thoughts. I've always shared my deepest, darkest secrets with you. I've told you things I'm too afraid to say out loud alone in my home. I've known you for a year your time. I'll admit: I haven't been the most supportive friend ever, but I'll work on changing that."

She cradles back and flips forward to her hind legs.

"You should stay, continue your work out. I didn't mean to stress you out during your stress relief. I can go find something else to do."

[D.KnightSpider]

"I've had enough ponies crawl around in my head. I'd rather not add another to that list."

Letting Love loose in his skull. That sounded like a surefire recipe for disaster. Nope. Not interested there.

Sniper began heading toward the doorway.

"I'm angry, yes. But not as angry as I was. I'll think about what you said. In the meantime, you go ahead and use the training room. I've been here long enough."

[Elbeyon]

She puts her hoofs behind her back and bends forward. "I understand." She chuckles. "I think I could manage to set the brain hack up one way. You crawl through my head."

Love nods as he starts to leave. "I think I will stay a bit longer. Thank you. Night, Scope. Enjoy your rest. It was nice talking with you. We should box again. Maybe, next time without the chatting." She rocks back and forth lost in thought.

[D.KnightSpider]

Sniper paused at the doorway.

"I'll admit that it was interesting. Not quite fun. But interesting. So, yes, we should do that again. 'Night."

And with that, he was gone.

Finished?

[Elbeyon]

I think so. It was a fun thread! :smallbiggrin:

So many more questions await answering, but that's for another thread, I think.