-=Mecha-Assault-Racing-Versus-League=- Skeith & Saber Arturia

[Skeith Takahata II]

In the year 2149, following the fourth global conflict, the world was mostly at peace. An abundance of the world's new bipedal mechanical weapons without a purpose, resulted in a new televised sport making use of them. High-Octane combat racing gladiatorial competition gave these weapons new purpose and won the hearts of men and women around the world. With each country actively competing, and corporate sponsors making money hand over fist, the sport became an integral part of the global economy and political field. Technology evolved with the sport, resulting in the wildly advanced world we have today. Almost all forms of entertainment now connect to the sport in one way or another. Video games, television, music, movies, even pornography.

In the year 2199, the Mecha Assault Racing Versus League is gearing up for it the end of its 50th year, moving into the 51st season. A young corporation, known for its all female staff, has decided that now is the time to move up from simply being a mech manufacturer to being an actual participant. While being considered a definite underdog, both for fielding an all female team, and for its lack of participation prior, the Mecha Musume team has its work cut out for them.


Location: Mecha Musume M.A.R.V.L. Team HQ
Date: November 5th, 2199
Time: 11:30 AM

"Yes, ma'am. I understand. Yes, I watched the last race. Don't worry, I think I've found the perfect pilot. I'll be meeting with her shortly. Once she's familiarized herself with our machine she'll blow them all away at qualifying. It's Hayden. Olivia Hayden. I haven't heard of her either, but her stats speak for themselves. I'll send the file right over. Yes, Ma'am. Happy Holidays to you too." Karen Montgomery hung up her cell phone, standing up from her desk. Her office was kept dimly lit, more akin to mood lighting. A large flat screen stood taking up an entire wall in front of a large leather sofa. Plants being tended to by hovering drones, gave the room some extra life. Despite being antiques, physical books were present on shelves. All of the furniture was beautiful oak.

Her dark haired receptionist knocked once at the door before pushing it open. "Ms. Montgomery? Are you decent?" A bizarre question to ask for a receptionist in most circumstances, but not for someone who knew Karen and her tendencies with her guests.

"Yes, of course. Is she here?" Karen responded, flattening out her neat attire.

"Yes, Ma'am." She closed the door, walking back out to the waiting area. "Ms. Hayden? Ms. Montgomery will see you now."

 

[Revelations]

Everyone needed to pay the bills, and Olivia felt blessed in that she greatly enjoyed the way she did so. A rookie pilot in the MARVL league, she had blown everyone away in her trial performances and smaller arenas. her old mech was a beaten, run down model that should have been sold for scrap... Which made it all the more impressive when it went against better, more advanced models and not just eked out wins, but clearly blew away the competition. Of course, those were rookie leagues, easy peasy and hardly an 'officiated' sport.

Now?

Now she was playing with the big boys and girls. Dressed in her pilot uniform - covered with sponsors and logos, she could have looked tacky with her bubblegum pink hair and light green eyes, but she looked stunning instead. The suit she wore covered her body in the loosest of senses, nearly skin tight and nigh impossible to zip up all the way, leaving out an ample amount of cleavage to veritably spill out. Not that she cared of course, she relished being looked at and being in the spotlight.

As she was told that Ms. Montgomery would meet her, she flashed a brilliant smile at the dark haired woman. "Ah, thank you." Soon moving to open the door, she hardly seemed sheepish as she entered, taking a brief look around before her vibrant eyes focused on her new, potential manager. "Good morning! It's so good to finally meet you face to face."

 

[Skeith Takahata II]

Karen nearly gasped at the sight of Olivia. She'd watched her matches, spoken with her over the phone, and seen her photo in her file, but seeing her in person was a very different thing. She was unbelievably gorgeous.

Karen returned Olivia's smile with one of her own. She walked over to her, holding her hand out to shake. "Good Morning. I'm glad you were able to come down. Come on in and have a seat." She walked back to her desk, sitting down in her very comfortable leather seat. She already had Olivia's file projected on a floating holographic screen. Another was playing footage from some of Olivia's matches. "So, as you know, I'm Karen Montgomery. I work as a liaison between this MARVL team and Mecha Musume Corporation. My job is basically to relay information between the team and the corporation, and vice versa. I've been watching your matches and as I said before over the phone, I was simply blown away. With a machine like yours, its impressive you did so well. It's quite the handicap."

She swiped the screens away so that she could look at Olivia directly. "We're a new team, looking to make our debut in the 2200 51st season. Most corporations look to hire an established pilot, but we want to take a rookie pilot without any corporate background and see her succeed among the more established pilots in the sport. We're providing you with one of our newest machines, though I must admit that its equipment is currently pretty basic. We have a pit crew headed by one of the finest mechanic's available. In the coming weeks, we'll be signing an additional pilot who will serve as your back up, or support in the event that events call for a team mate. Once the team is established, we'll be enrolling you in the qualifying. You'll be performing in simulated scenarios of all match types to see where you measure up against the competition."

She paused the let it all sink in before setting the contract down on the table. "If you choose to sign with us, you'll receive your standard pay from Mecha Musume as well as a portion of the winnings from each match. So, think of it as an incentive to perform at your best. The better you do, the more you'll make." She smiled then, setting a pen down on the desk for her. "As you know, this is a difficult sport to break into. If this is the career you want, then this is an incredible opportunity. Just sign, and I'll take you to meet your head mechanic and your state of the art machine."

 

[Revelations]

Olivia was obviously a woman who took care of herself. Unblemished skin, long and silky hair, bright and vibrant eyes – the works. She knew that attractive people were popular with the camera, and given her talents she wanted to be seen by everyone she could. That, and she liked feeling confident – looking good was again, part of that. But as she looked Karen over, her smile widened for just a moment as she shook the other woman’s hand, a firm and strong shake before she moved to sit. “Thank you. Mmhmm, I remember the conversation we had over the phone the other day. I’m glad you’ve been watching my matches, i’ve had a few offers but none as promising as your group, Ms. Montgomery.” She spoke eloquently, and politely. There was no need to be hostile here, and really? She was usually a pretty easygoing person.

“If you’re looking for a rookie pilot, well… You came to the right gal! I have been eager to get on the circuit proper, but without a real sponsor that can elevate me, i’ve been stuck in amateur leagues and smaller arenas. But I promise you, if you sign me on I will see to it that this team flies to the forefront!” Of course, they’d need to supply her with a proper mech. Her junker one was well, it was no good in a real competition but she assumed they had something in mind. Taking the contract and reading over it carefully, she smiled when she saw there were no real ‘got you’ clauses or other things to worry about. And before long, she had her signature adorning the appropriate paperwork, including her trademark heart symbol in place of the dot on the I of her name. “You have your pilot, and I promise you I won’t disappoint, ma’am!”

 

[Skeith Takahata II]

"That's what I wanted to hear. I'm sure you'll flourish here." Karen brought her hands together, meshing her fingers, as she watched Olivia look over the paperwork. Of course, Karen knew that everything would be in order. Far from insulted by Olivia's decision to look things over first, she took it as a positive sign that Olivia was clearly smart enough to pay attention to the details. As she signed the contract, Karen grinned. "Excellent. Welcome aboard, Ms. Hayden. And congratulations on making it to the professional league." She took the contract, sealing it in an envelope and tucking it away in her desk for safe keeping. "I suppose we should show you around and get you acquainted with your team and your new machine."

She pushed herself up from the desk, motioning towards the door. "Shall we?" She smiled warmly before leading the way back out. "You already met my receptionist, Sharon." She said, pausing by the desk in her office lobby. "If I'm in, my office door is pretty much always open to you. All the same, check in with Sharon before coming into see me. Just in case I'm entertaining a guest or in the middle of a meeting. Should you have any questions or concerns, or perhaps need to be put in contact with Mecha Musume management for whatever reason, come visit me and I'll see it done."

She continued then, walking past several women who were bustling around the office space. "As I'm sure you know, Mecha Musume maintains an all female staff. We find it cuts down on a lot of work place drama and gives our fellow women a chance to succeed in the mech related fields." She paused at one point, opening a door to show off a space. "In here, we have our lounge space. After hours and break time is spent here. We also organize celebrations for big wins in here. There is an open bar, but its only available in the evenings after everyone has punched out."

Finally, they arrived at the most important space. "Here we have the garage. Your new machine is stored in here. Each game type calls for different load outs, we swap out your equipment and handle any upgrades, repairs, and general maintenance here. A fair warning, before we head in, your chief mechanic, she's um... She's a bit of a character. Her energy level may take some getting used to, but she's the best mechanic on the market right now. We really lucked out when we found her." She pushed the door to the garage open.

The sounds inside were overwhelmingly loud. The sound of tools, vehicles bustling around, and people shouting filled the space. The door led out onto a catwalk, looking down over the garage. A large humanoid machine, was covered by a huge sheet of fabric, concealing it from view while people worked on it beneath the canvas. A dark fur covered creature with a large fluffy tail was leaned over the railing shouting down at the others. "Hey! Be careful with that! If you damage that part the tension in the leg joints will be too high! Sharp turns on the track or a harsh landing in the arena could cause them to snap!" She growled like an animal as she stomped her foot, her fists clenching tightly as she tail clearly displayed her emotion.

"Olivia Hayden, allow me to introduce Kira Nakamura." The fur clad woman whirled around wide eyed.

"Ah! Karen! I wasn't expecting, um." She looked over at Olivia, immediately relaxing. Her ears twitched, her tail swishing back and forth as she came walking over. "Kira Nakamura, MARVL mechanic extraordinaire, at your service!" She grinned brightly as she held out her fur covered hand.

 

[Revelations]

“Wonderful! You won’t regret signing me on one bit. We’ll see this team become the best in no time flat!” While she was optimistic she knew the road ahead would not be easy in truth – but no one really wanted to hear ‘Well it’ll be a long road ahead of us, so I hope we both made the right decision!’ That, and again she was confident. Nodding when it was time to leave, she looked to Sharon and waved to her as they passed her by. “It’s a pleasure to work with you, Sharon. I hope we can get along quite well here on out.” Her pink hair bobbed and swayed with her steps, her light heels tapping against the hardwoof floor as she continued on. Taking in the various rooms and discussed their functions, she gave a nod. “Ah, that makes sense. It’ll be nice to work with other female colleagues. Nothing wrong with guys, but girls can be so much more...” easy on the eyes? “Simpler to work with sometimes.” Yeah, that sounded much better.

The place was well furnished and decorated, and the thought of an open bar after a hard day of training sounded very appealling, but she knew she’d have to refrain from drinking too much at the same time. “That sounds appropriate. As long as we have the right tools for the job or can get them, i’ll make sure we get first place every time.” She talked a bit of a big game of course, but she had every intention of showing that she meant it.

When Olivia heard the growling, she was curious. Was it an animal in the other room, a pet of the mechanics? Turning the corner and heading through the door, she saw the mechanic and… stared for a second before shaking her head and trying not to gawk so much. She had heard about their kind – Hellhounds were what some people called them though it wasn’t their species name. She’d never seen one in person, but… She soon smiled, offering her hand out. “Olivia Hayden, or just Olive if you prefer. I’m Musume’s new pilot, it’s wonderful to meet you!” She smiled back, giving a firm and warm handshake.

 

[Skeith Takahata II]

Kira grinned as a Olivia introduced herself and shook her hand. "Karen told me you would be coming to see me at some point today. I'm glad you decided to sign on with us!" She gave Olivia a once over, appraising her before smiling again. She wasn't what she expected, but that didn't mean she was disappointed. Olivia's friendly demeanor would be easier to work with than some of the more all-work types. "Olive it is then. You're welcome to call me Kira. Ms. Nakamura makes me sound so... Old." She rubbed the back of her head before twirling around to look back down at the team that was hard at work assembling the new machine.

Karen stepped forward, tapping Kira's shoulder lightly. "What do you say we introduce Olivia to her new machine, hmm?" She asked, smiling faintly. Still a gleam of excitement was shining in her eyes.

Kira suddenly grew very excited, turning to face the other women again. "Follow me!" She started leading the two along the catwalk, whistling to the workforce below. "Get ready to raise Number Twelve! Look alive ladies, our pilot is here!" Cables grew taught as the machine started to be raised to its feet. The team of mechanics rode the elevator up to meet Kira and the others part way. The team of ten women were certainly professionals in their field and looked the part. "We finished assembling her this morning. We've been very excited to share it with you."

Karen stepped forward, looking up at the canvas covered humanoid form. It was a touch shorter and more slender than the competition, but that would allow for greater agility and race speed. "Mecha Musume's Series XII Model. The project was codenamed Artemis." She looked to Kira expectantly. "Well?"

"Get ready to drop the canvas! Ready to meet your new best friend?" Kira asked, looking over at Olivia. She clearly had a flair for the dramatic, enjoying the build up.

 

[Revelations]

Oh, Olivia was going to like Kira. Her smile widened upon seeing the woman enjoyed her job and liked working on the mechanical bits and pieces. That, and she seemed easy to get along with which to the rookie pilot meant a lot more than having an aloof though expert mechanic was. It was all a team effort, and if one moving part faltered, they all did. Plus… She was really easy on the eyes, which didn’t hurt matters at all.

With the excited woman beginning to lead Olivia into the garage properly, and to see the masterwork offered to her. “Oh?” As Olivia approached, one of her gloved hands rested against the leg of the armor, ‘feeling’ the smooth, buffered metal against her fingers as she turned to look to Kira. “It’s all state of the art, right? It looks more petite than other models, but I like that. I know some swear by heavier mecha, but give me something that can run circles around the competition any day! I don’t have to worry about damage if I don’t get hit afterall.” Tapping against the frame, she then focused on Kira. “Let’s keep Artemis as the designation. I like it. It’s graceful just like this frame if. But we gotta break her in soon, otherwise i’m gonna go stir crazy just salivating over the thought of piloting this baby. What do we have for good simulations or test tracks around here?”

 

[Skeith Takahata II]

Kira was all smiles as she watched Olivia's appreciative hand glide over the metal plating. Sophia knew her stuff. She could truly appreciate the labor of love that was this machine, down to the finest minute details. She was even able to recognize the reasoning behind the smaller, lighter frame. When she remarked on the name, calling it and the machine elegant, Kira nearly swooned. "Let's get you in the cockpit for starters. We need to go over a few things first." She led the two women over to an elevator that raised them to the torso.

She led the way to the cockpit, mounting on the back, and triggered it to slide open, almost like the chamber of a gun. "Go ahead, climb in!" She bade her to enter, nearly quivering with excitement. "The cockpit has two modes, one for racing and one for combat. We find that to perform best in each, a different layout is necessary. You can control the cockpit positioning with a verbal command that you can set, or by using the switch on the center console." The two forms consisted of a standard seated cockpit for combat and one leaning forward for racing. Not dissimilar to a motorcycle.

"Before we get you on the track, you need to get used to the controls. You'll find they're more sensitive and responsive than your old machine. It will require far less elbow grease or preemptive action to account for delays. So, ease into her speed and reaction time until you're confident." Keira explained it in as simple of terms as possible.

"I've uploaded the coordinates for the test track on the grounds. Take Artemis over there. Kira and I will meet you there." Karen, pulled Mira away from the cockpit, leading her back, as the garage door opened slowly.

"We'll catch up with you!" Kira shouted, jumping up and down as she waved.

 

[Revelations]

Olivia could tell she had already found the perfect fit for her as far as the racing league went. She had no qualms about the mechanic and actually really liked her already – and the mecha was beautiful, a real work of art. Giving out a low hum, she turned on her heel and gave a nod. “Right, into the cockpit!” Whirling back as she heard the hiss and whir of machinery opening and the cockpit becoming visible, it wasn’t long before she clamored up the mech, and got into the pilots seat. Already she could feel the difference. Her junker mech’s seat was… Well, the best it could have been described as is that it didn’t completely tip over if she leaned forward. Here, plush leather and hyrdaulics mixed together for maximum comfort, and the sleek control panel put her last model to complete shame. “Got it!” She called back, relying on the combat setup for now. She wasn’t intending to fight, but the combat laytout allowed for more purposeful, intentful movement, rather than the breakneck speed that racing demanded.

The HUD lit up as well, causing her to whistle out a bit louder as she saw the world around her light up. Taking the first few steps, the mech was indeed far more responsive, and she knew she’d have to get use to it. Before long, she was striding toward the test track, taking things slow at first to gauge Artemis before she started on a more steady, impressive stride. She’d save the all out racing for the track, but for now? She was like a kid with a new toy, taking things slowly to her destination and loking over all the pretty buttons and lights.

 

[Skeith Takahata II]

Kira and Karen followed beside the mech in Karen's convertible. Kira was all smiles as she watched Artemis stride towards the test track. Her tail swishing back and forth, often brushing in Karen's face, much to the more professional woman's irritation. "Do you think she likes it? Of course, she must! I made it!"

"I'm sure she's satisfied with the machine. Sit down!" Karen ordered, shaking her head.

"Sorry! I'm excited! My baby's taking her first steps! And what about Olive? She's so cool! The perfect fit for my Artemis!" Kira shouted.

"She can hear you. The two way radio is on." Karen smirked to herself, especially at how flustered Kira became.

"Uh..." Kira's ears went flat for a moment. "H-hi, Olivia." She sat down, growing quickly quiet.

At the track, Kira and Karen moved to a control tower, donning their headsets. The track itself was very simple. Clearly just for testing. "Okay, Olive. We want you to take it slow. Work up to racing speed, okay? Just feel her out. Artemis knows what to do." Kira explained.

 

[Revelations]

Hearing the chatter over comms, Olivia still went slightly flush and tried not to laugh. "It's okay, it's okay. Let's see how cool I am after I pilot Artemis though - I wanna make sure I live up to everyone's expectations!" As she then began to pilot it proper, the first few steps Artemis took were calculated and steady, an increaisng stride as Olivia got properly use to the way the new mecha moved. As each step echoed through the track she picked up a bit of speed until she was in a steady sprint - still not at full speed, but almost there... "Okay! In about thirty seconds i'm gonna activate the boosters and get this girl flying. Y'all might wanna take a step back, I don't want you going deaf for a bit in case she's loud revving up!" She was confident and taking this like a routine test, evne if she was inwardly excited as hell, she was just about to start living the dream.

 

[Skeith Takahata II]

Kira did the opposite of backing up. She leaned forward over the counter in the control tower to watch more closely. "Make sure you're all strapped in! Getting up to racing speed will knock you around otherwise!" Kira warned over the comlink. She looked back to Karen who seemed more relaxed but was smiling faintly to herself, clearly pleased.

Karen was holding a tablet that was monitoring Artemis' specs and performance. "Okay, Olivia, we're ready whenever you are. This is a test run. No drones for combat, no special modifiers or rules. Just practice getting Artemis around the track. Go ahead and put her through her paces."

Kira's tail was swishing back and forth as she nearly hopped up and down in excitement. "Loose thine arrow, O' goddess of the hunt!" Kira announced eagerly.

 

[Revelations]

Oh yeah. She was loving this. As the speed picked up and the engine went from warming up to hot and ready? Olivia took only a second to rev the jets for her mech and send the thing into a hovering but still impressive stride, the impressive boom of the engines causing a brief and small shockwave around Artemis. Briefly thrust back into her seat, she flashed a more wicket grin as her knuckles whitened as she held the controls even tighter. Whereas Artemis was coasting along before, she was acting as if she was in a race, looking to brush her competition aside and steamroll her way to first place. “Hah! This gal is amazing! Amazing!” Her excitement bled into the repeated word, beginning to slowly lean in as she sought to make the Mech go as fast as it could get. “Kira! You’re incredible, I could never get my old junker to go even a fourth this speed!” At times she looked like a blur across the racing track, and she was relishing every second of it.

 

[Skeith Takahata II]

Kira was nearly shouting in excitement as she watched her baby speed around the track. She had run the simulations and monitored its stats, so she knew how fast it could go, but that was just numbers on a tablet. Seeing it in person for the first time was a totally different experience. Kira grinned widely as she heard Olivia call her incredible. "You hear that, Karen? Incredible! I'm incredible!"

"Now you've done it." Karen muttered, shaking her head. "Kira will be reminding us you said that for at least a week."

Kira laughed excitedly, her eyes still locked on Artemis. It was a truly special feeling, watching her passion project running the course. She could already see that Olivia really was the best pilot for Artemis. She was able to so easily get a handle on the controls and speed of the machine. The young mechanic was completely enamored with the rookie pilot.

"Now, obviously, in the actual races there will be special modifiers in play. On board weapons will have a lock, only unlocking when you hit certain holographic nodes around the track. Similar with speed boosts and such. More than just being the fastest, you'll have to be the strongest. The races are as much about protecting yourself from enemy attack as they are about winning the race. Of course, we can worry about those details as we get closer to the actual races." Karen explained, mostly monotone, still watching the tablet rather than the track.

 

[Revelations]

For Olivia, the only way to test something was a field test – and while she had ran plenty of tracks on a half beaten jalopy, this was well – this was almost sex to her is how good it was. Every moment was bliss but as she focused rather than space out from the sensation, she continued on the track for few more laps – testing the drift of the mecha as she let it slide in the air, kicking up dirt and gravel as she dipped lower to the ground and sought to compact her form on a few of the sharper turns to make sure they went smooth. But as this was merely a test, she wasn’t going to let things get to her head too much…

But lord in heaven, it felt so… smooth. So easy, she wasn’t fighting the controls. She wasn’t dreading the drag causing some of the plating to fly off. She had no worry that a stray should would blow the Artemis’ leg off before she could react to it. “Oh, I know I know. I’ve watched the ‘real’ races. I’ve seen how they go. Don’t worry, don’t worry!” Olivia sought to reassure Karen. “We’ll worry about weapon systems and evasive action a bit later. But nothin’s gonna get this baby scrapped. Not while i’m the one piloting it!” She took the threat very seriously but at the same time, had every intent to make due on her words.

 

[Skeith Takahata II]

By this point, Kira was nearly leaning out of the control tower, bending part way over the railing to get as close as she could while she watched. It was enough to make her fur stand on end. She wasn't even the one piloting the machine and she was getting a rush. Not that she could ever fly it like Olivia. She could build them blind folded, and walk them around the hangar, but she was no pilot. No ma'am. Olivia on the other hand... Kira could scarcely believe that Olivia was a rookie, making the jump from more casual racing in a junker, to professional in a new state of the art machine. She truly was a marvel to behold. I proper savant.

Karen smiled as she leaned back in her seat. "Of course. If you handle the real races like you're handling this test, than we'll have nothing to worry about." Karen knew realistically that there would be losses, despite Olivia's confidence. The young pilot could race perfectly every time and still simply be up against a superior pilot, but she didn't worry too much about that. There were a couple pilots that she knew would push Olivia to her limit. No racer's career was flawless. Hopefully, Olivia's first loss wouldn't sting too bad.

 

[Revelations]

Olivia did a few more laps – and each sharp turn she took, each drift that had her rolling briefly in her mech left her speechless. Turns like that and speed like this would have had plates and metal flying off her old mecha as debris, and yet here she was! Handling Artemis with a velvety precision and a seeming lack of care. Of course said recklessness was an illusion, given that she was focused on not crashing or damaging the beautiful machine too. For another ten or fifteen minutes she exhausted its fuel supply until she manually slowed down to a steady halt, a hiss creeping out from Artemis as she finally stopped it completely and the machine lay inert at the starting line. Moments later the cockpit flung open and she was kipping out, her bubblegum hued hair a wild mess as she spun around and looked back at her new toy, boots kicking up dirt. “Oh, yes...” She spoke through the personal comm in her suit. “This is going to be beautiful. I can promise you now. You keep her running like this, Kira… And you’ll be known as one of the best engineers!”

 

[Skeith Takahata II]

When the Artemis finally came to rest, Kira was quickly to begin descending from the control tower. Karen followed behind her, only after calling for a truck to collect the mech and bring it back to the hanger. Kira came running over, even more excited than the ride over to the test track. "Are you kidding? No one could make her move like you! I'm sure of it! It's like you were made for each other!" Kira was nearly jumping up and down she was so excited. She looked back at Karen as her more professional counterpart walked over to meet them.

"Most impressive, Olivia." Karen lowered the tablet, smiling as she looked up at the mech. "I had a good feeling about you before, but now I'm certain that we made the right decision signing you. We're in good hands with you. Between you and Kira we've got every advantage a rookie team could hope for."

 

[Revelations]

“Haha, not to toot your horn, but while I make it move like that, you’re the one who made it possible to maneuver her like that. That’s the best engineering work i’ve seen. You could have easily designed mechs for anyone else and made a fortune. Now i’m all flattered that I got you all to myself.” She spoke, a finger to her lip afterward as they curled back into a smile. “Still, my future is in good hands. I’m glad you’re finding me to be to your expectations. I’m feeling like we’ll have nothing but the best going forward!”

 

[Skeith Takahata II]

Kira's ears went flat for a moment at Olivia's praise, rubbing the back of her head. "Th-thanks. I'm proud of it." She looked passed Olivia at the approaching truck.

While the three shared in their mutual excitement, the truck to bring the now depleted Artemis back to the garage, pulled up. The team disembarked, using a heavy crane to lift the machine onto the bed. Kira watched them to make sure they were careful before returning her gaze to Olivia. Karen smiled at the two before motioning back towards her car. "You can ride back with us, Olivia."

As they approached the vehicle, Karen brought up her tablet again. "I'll send you a copy of the schedule that you'll be keeping for the time being. It will lay out times for your various training sessions to help prepare you for the various match types you'll be competing in. Between sessions, you and Kira will be working together to make any adjustments necessary to Artemis. In the mean time, I will be head hunting for our second pilot." Karen finally lowered the tablet when they arrived at the vehicle. She climbed in the driver seat, Kira quickly hopping in the back seat to give Olivia the passenger side. "Now, it isn't required, but I would recommend familiarizing yourself with how the competition plays so that you can better counter them."

"Kaaaren!" Kira wined as she flopped back in the seat. "Stop killing the mood! Let's go eat!"

Karen gave a defeated sigh before smiling. "Fine. Dinner's on me. There's no harm in celebrating the team's first real day."

 

[Revelations]

“I agree! We need to celebrate this.” Olivia was also pretty hungry and an excuse to eat well, an excuse to stuff her mouth which was always good. Eating out with two cute coworkers was just a huge bonus. With the Artemis going back for refueling and any diagnostics that needed to be ran on her, olivia was fine driving with the others, and while doing so, she thought for a moment as Karen spoke about a second pilot. “If you find any candidates just run them by me first. I want to make sure that my copilot and I have a good relationship. I won’t want us trying to outjockey one another or do some sort of showmanship that gets us in a fight. Bad blood means bad performance, afterall.” That, and she was generally a little picky about who she worked with.

Still, that was some time away and for now? “So… Where do we wanna eat? I know a good place for japanese food not too far from downtown. Then again, I’ll go for any food really. Tomorrow i’ll prep on reading about and watching my competition, but tonight I think we have every reason to just enjoy a pleasant evening and get to know one anothers company.” Reclining back in the passengers seat, she gave a brief stretch, her pilot-suit stretching even tighter across her chest as she breathed out slowly.

 

[Skeith Takahata II]

Karen glanced over at Olivia, giving a simple nod at her request to meet the candidates. It was a sensible request, and one that Karen was more than happy to agree to. "Japanese sounds great." Karen finally said, commenting on Olivia's suggestion.

Kira nodded enthusiastically. "I think I know the place you're talking about!" She exclaimed excitedly. "Oh, I should probably change first. Wouldn't really do to show up to dinner in grease covered cover-alls..."

The rest of the trip back to the garage was uneventful, as was taking care of any responsibilities before dinner. Artemis was safely stored back in the garage, undergoing refueling and diagnostics. Eventually the three were back in the vehicle and en route to the Japanese restaurant.

--------------------------

"What the hell is going on up there?" Karen muttered as they drew closer. A crowd had gathered near the front of the restaurant, cameras flashing. Karen parked the car, climbing out while still observing the buzz of activity. Kira stood up while still in the backseat, peering over the crowd.

"No way!" The hellhound exclaimed, eyes wide in awe. "I think that's Ceres Karn!" She looked at Olivia. "She's the best pilot in the league! She's 99 and 0!" She paused then, looking forward before looking back to Olivia. "But, not for long, obviously."

As the trio drew closer to the restaurant, Karen walked past the crowd dismissively, while Kira continued to try to sneak a closer look at the famed pilot. Said pilot was clearly trying to get through the crowd to her car, not interested in press or autographs. She did pause for only a moment though, seeming to recognize Karen. Her eyes then shifted toward Olivia. Her tired eyes held contact with her for only a moment before she continued. Her driver opening the rear door for her.

 

[Revelations]

The crowd around the restaurant was… not expected. It wasn’t some high class place where one needed reservations. It was one of the best sushi places in the city, but to most it could have easily looked like a divebar or some quaint, if well worn building. Stepping out of the car and looking to Karen, she was just as curious before the hellhound burst out in surprise and turned to Olivia. “Ceres?” Oh, she knew who Ceres was. Everyone who followed racing did. The silver haired dodges, the conquering queen, the indisputable champion… There were a dozen more nicknames and titles for her, and each of them quite majestic in their own way. Even Olivia – filled with confidence and her own swagger, knew that in a race right nnow she’d have absolutely no chance in hell of besting Ceres.

The woman looked a little tired, and as the pilot’s eyes flashed from Karen toward Olivia, the pink haired woman turned back to Karen, brow faintly raised. Perhaps there was some bad blood between the two?

Still, with her leaving – so did the crowds, most speaking excitedly. Clearing her throat, Olivia gave a soft, small shrug. “Ah. Well, just means that hopefully they’ll get to us in no time flat.” Saying nothing about Ceres, Olivia almost felt… intimidated to say the least.

 

[Skeith Takahata II]

With the crowd dispersed and the excitement settling, Karen led the way into the restaurant. Kira tailed behind, still looking back the way Ceres' car had gone. She could scarcely believe that they had crossed paths with the world's greatest pilot by chance! Kira was still caught in dreamland as Karen approached the counter. "Table for three, please." She looked back towards the other women, waving for them to follow her back to the table.

"Hello there, Kira." The waitress greeted with a smile. One that was quickly returned by Kira, whom's tails were wagging back and forth excitedly in her seat. "Get you ladies started with some drinks?" The waitress asked.

"Hello~" Kira nearly sang. She was still jittery from seeing Ceres and now was even more excited about eating. Probably her favorite activity outside of working on mecha.

With drink orders placed, the three were left the look over their menus. At least, Kira was. Karen was a little distracted. Staring out the window, clearly absent minded.

Kira, now entirely focused on food, was excitedly naming off options. Not like she was making a choice, but like she was intending to get each one she said aloud. Her appetite clearly matched her energy level. "What are you getting, Olivia?" Kira asked, looking across the table at her.