Mythril Aces (Re)Union: Real Robot RP - Centauri Roleplay Thread

"Evening right back at you, Lord Valentine," Rick replied to Val. "I know I am enjoying the evening well enough. Rubbing elbows with civilians in an elevator gives me that rush of excitement that piloting a twenty-foot-tall death-wielding metal titan in the dark of space just doesn't provide."

Maybe the others on his squadron didn't know who the young duke was, but Rick knew exactly who he was. Trio Knight Duke Valentine G. Goldschmidt. The heir who received the entirety of the Goldschmidt estate's assets just about five years ago. Like all news stories, maybe it faded from the minds of the public and fell out of the spotlight as soon as some young starlet had a wardrobe malfunction. Maybe it took the grisly results of a battle, either an overwhelmingly patriotic victory, or a devastating defeat. But regardless of who now remembered what, Rick remembered. He remembered, in particular, that amongst the many enterprises that the Goldschmidt family possessed, they had the Celestial Tribune - the media conglomerate that owned Big Bunny Buddies.

His thinking was interrupted by some half-witted noble asking him where the restrooms were.

"I don't work... yeah, it's over there," he said as he begrudgingly pointed to the men's room. "Anyway," he continued. "How many proposals have you gotten? Think you're going to take the title belt from Riley tonight?"

Riley was saved from an embarrassing choking scene only by the fact that her next sip of wine had not met her lips just yet when Rick made his comment. Rick was saved from a smack across the head only by the fact that they were in public. Hitting a subordinate was not proper for either a Knight or a lady of course, but it was Rick, so it was okay.

Unseemly comment aside, Riley also did not like the idea of losing to Lord Valentine. That it was not even a real competition nor one she actually wanted to win was irrelevant. She just did not want to lose to the nobleman.

Faced with these conflicting emotions, Riley took a third option. A quick annoyed look at Rick was all the reaction she gave before returning to her drink, pretending the comment meant nothing to her.

In contrast to the Atlantican, Valentine belted out a few chuckles at the Fifth Knight's words. "I haven't seen anyone so far, no, Lady Lee. And I don't know about that, Rick. I only have ten so far tonight, thank God. I've mostly been entertaining the Nirvanan Lords with some old yarns of mine, so they haven't had as much opportunity as usual to bother me about such things."

"Besides," the redhead continued, turning to his superior and holding his fingers together as if he were framing a portrait or camera, "most of these people have never seen Lady Lee before, let alone gotten out of their own little system to see her planet, so everything about her is new! Interesting! Exciting! She's the alluring and mysterious Red Rose of Atlantica! By the end of the night, I'm sure she'll have at least... hmmm... a dozen suitors lined up to court her hand!"

Robert felt somewhat uneasy amidst the straight-laced bustle of the party. It wasn't as if he had never attended such gatherings, he and his siblings were often obligated to attend the major gatherings of house Vernon. This time, however, Robert was on his own and any matters concerning his household that came up, he couldn't simply leave to David or Glenn this time. Robert was never especially skilled in court intrigue; he was a doer, not a schemer.

Thankfully, the knights were not compelled to dress themselves up in anything more distinguishing than their uniforms and most of these nobles had likely never heard of house Mackenzie. The latter fact didn't particularly make him feel better, but it alleviated his concerns. What doubts still stuck, a few shots of the mediocre wine dealt with.

As the party proceeded, Robert generally paced about at the sidelines, keeping close to his squadron. He made a point to keep his eye on what Maria Blackfield, his squad-mate was getting up to. The girl was quite gifted in zero-g maneuvering, though she tended to display a curious lack of common sense in social matters and a faux-pas with noble could turn things very ugly, if his other squad-mate Goldschmidt was any indication.

Goldschmidt's most recent tall tale about blasting a gang of pirates into oblivion for ransoming him at a mere two million kept this matter fresh in his mind. That aside though, the end of the story and Goldschmidt's retreat from that circle meant that Robert would now be once again back on the superhighway to boredom. Dreading this prospect, Robert made a detour after Goldschmidt to the table most of his squad had taken a seat at.

As Goldschmidt and Lee, the squad leader, began to engage in what looked to be the start of one of Lee's competitions, Robert pulled up a seat next to Richard. "Hey, Richard." He greeted. "Is it just my boredom, or does this elevator seem to be taking its sweet time?"

Rozalia stood at attention as her superior approached, saluting the noble Trio Knight. She had been watching him speak to various other pilots, and had made sure to finish her food before he arrived at her.

"Yes, sir."

"At ease," Fergus smiled, "It is a social event after all, I just thought I'd introduce myself. I've already spoken with the rest of your Company, who are seated over there."

He indicated the rest of the group.

"Though, if you would prefer other, more social company for the night, I would understand," He paused, "That's an interesting mask however, is it a Mishi tradition?"

edited 14th May '14 2:53:04 PM by Fauxlosophe

Victoria watched Ferguson depart to go speak with the masked woman, then turned again to her two new squadmates.

"Since none of us are up for talking with the nobles, maybe we could meet the other Knights here," she suggested. She subtly indicated the group Ferguson had been speaking to originally, her eyes suddenly widening. "Is that Valentine Goldschmidt...?" she asked in disbelief.

Sir Mac Morna scurried off in another direction and Gabriel quickly lost sight of him. He raised his eyebrows slightly, surprised at his sudden departure. "Well that was fast." He commented dryly. "Sir Mac Morna must enjoy these a bit more than he says he does." The corners of his mouth twitched. "Or at least the wine."

"Hmmm?" He turned towards the source of Dame Cascade's outburst. There at the table when Sir Mac Morna had just come from, stood an auburn-haired man, finely dressed and, if his medals didn't lie, a Trio Knight as well. "Well I don't know any Goldschmidt's but that does seem to be a Trio." He furrowed his brow a tad. "Those are probably members of our battalion, come to think of it."

edited 14th May '14 4:50:03 PM by rabbitRider

Why is this Spotlight on Riley Day? The Fourth Knight grumbled in her mind. Leave it to a man called Valentine to make a romance joke. And one she did not how to react to for that matter.

It was not like she had to put on a fake smile for him. Trio Knight though he was, he was still a comrade-in-arms. A fellow member of the company that she strove to imprint an egalitarian view on. She could dismiss his theatrics out of hand, noble title or not.

On the other hand, she could take it as a compliment befitting a lady. What girl wouldn't be flattered at the idea of a dozen suitors in a single night? Then again, as the company commander she shouldn't be letting this kind of talk sucker her in lest she damage her credibility with the rest of the Knights.

But on the other, other hand it never hurt to let her hair down a bit! Figuratively speaking, anyway. Her hair was, in fact, being held up in a neat, but still ornate style at the moment. It was her one surrender to vanity that night after making a big deal over wearing clean and proper dress uniforms. But wait, her love life wasn't any of his business!

But still! A lady should not appear ungrateful for praise, jokingly given or not! Okay, happy feelings, Riley!

"My good duke, you flatter me. I - wait, this isn't going to be an article in some tabloid you plan on launching, is it?"

Just not too happy.

Rozaliya relaxed somewhat, though she remained quite stiff. She was not good at socializing in this format.

"It is a symbol of the burden I carry and the black mark on my family, sir. Only when I have restored my family's honour will I allow myself to show my face in public."

"It suits the occaision," Fergus replied with a smirk, "Everyone is trying to impress someone or hide something. The handful who aren't are either miserable or enjoying the show."

He paused and looked over the nobles.

"You seem to be more keen to remain apart though," He said, "Which is an odd strategy for someone hoping to gain reputation and friendship."

edited 14th May '14 4:18:39 PM by Fauxlosophe

"I...was never good at socializing, sir."

Rozaliya went quiet after that. Back home, she could always trust her parents to find suitable conversation partners, and it was always in controlled forms. To be surrounded by strangers like this was...uncomfortable. Of course, the commander was right in that this would be a liability when it came to making connections, but it was a part of her that was hard to change.

edited 14th May '14 4:30:58 PM by Lemurian

Fergus paused for a moment as Rozaliya went quiet. A look of genuine sympathy flashed across his face.

"Come on," he said making a casual handwave to dismiss the last statement, "These events can be hard to get used to. You will grow into it; though if you are really eager, I could introduce you around."

He paused for a second and moved the wine in his glass. He realized what he had just said and why it was an awful idea.

"The alternative," he corrected himself, "Is that I introduce you to your Battalion. They have some... quirks. But they have fewer airs to them."

A brief look of panic flashed in Rozaliya's eyes, but she smiled happily at his second suggestion.

"I would greatly appreciate getting to know the people I will be fighting together with, sir."

Gabriel looked through the crowd, peering over their heads to see if he could spot a waiter from whom he could request coffee. "Hmmm, I may have to go visit the bar again for my coffee because there do not appear to be many waiters." He scowled.

While peering through the assembled nobles, he caught another sight of Sir Mac Morna talking to a Knight with... was that a mask? That seemed a rather eccentric choice, even for a nobles party. She had probably been under the impression that it was a masquerade, which the nobility did throw from time to time.

He saw the Trio looking through the crowd as well, before spotting Gabriel, and gesturing to the woman for a moment.

Whats that about? He wondered idly.

"I would like to introduce you all to the newest arrival to our Battalion," Fergus said presenting Roza, "Dame Mikhailova."

He then indicated each of the frame pilots, "These are your fellow Knights of the Hounds; Sir Leon, Dame Cascade and Dame Gottwald."

edited 14th May '14 5:55:55 PM by Fauxlosophe

"Pleased to meet you," Victoria inclined her head, studying what she could of the newcomer's face.

"A pleasure, Dame Mikhailova." Gabriel inclined his head respectfully. "Sir Fergus mentioned we had a new addition. We'll have to give you the tactics run down before we launch, if this damned elevator ever actually reaches its destination." He grumbled. "Or were you already given it?"

He raised an eyebrow. "And, if you don't mind my asking, why in the world are you wearing a mask?" He asked, puzzled. He could understand her thinking it was a masquerade before she arrived but why did she still have it on. "It's a very nice mask, of course, but rather out of place."

"Laws of relativity, Bobby," Rick replied low to Robert. "The faster we move, the slower time goes. And that's not me saying it. That's science. That's Einstein. But," he said slightly louder so that his other two squadmates could hear. "I guess if we're here, we might as well try to make the most of it, you know? Wish me luck."

He picked up the most sophisticated-looking drink he could find from a waiter's passing tray, took a big sip to make it look like he had been nursing the drink for a few minutes, and started to walk from the table. He looked around for a noblewoman around his age who was heading to the drink table - as that meant they weren't currently in a group - and made his approach. As he walked, he made sure to remember some sage advice from a song on his favorite television program, which he quietly played through his mind.

Making new friends can be lots of fun
You might think it's scary but there's no need to run
It's really easy to get over your fears
Just put a nice big smile on your face and wiggle your ears
Hop on over and say hello, you'll be talking and then before you knoooooow
You'll have a new friend, now it's time for commerciaaaaals

"Hello, good evening," he said to the woman with a cheerful grin on his face. "How are you doing. Enjoying the party?"

Rozaliya smiled at her fellow Knights. They all seemed like good people.

"Hello, I am Rozaliya Mikhailova. It is nice to meet you all. As for the mask, uhm, it is for personal reasons."

The commander had a right to know, since there was no reason not to trust him with the knowledge. However, the others did not need to know for now.

"It is a bit of a tradition on Mishi," Fergus said disarmingly sensing some discomfort there, "We all have our little vices stolen from our homes."

He offered Rozaliya a seat.

"I'm curious what stories you have and customs you keep from your homelands," He looked over the group inviting someone to offer a tale.

Victoria clammed up at Fergus' remark, doing well to keep a neutral expression on her face. Her last trip home had ended abruptly and angrily, a fact reflected in the small amount of luggage she'd returned to active duty with. She looked to the others, hoping one of them had something interesting to start with.

"Wha-?" The Trio was visibly dismayed by Riley's sudden shift in tone, and took an involuntary step back. "A-A tabloid?! Dear Lord, no! I mean, I was thinking of including a profile of you as part of the local coverage of this whole event, my dear Lady, if that's alright, but nothing so crass! I wasn't joking about suitors, either, though I may have exaggerated the numbers a tad in my assessment. It would seem the combination of your elegance, your station and your exotic, foreign mystique is quite appealing to many of the people here. Several of the men here around our age confided in me the fact that they were smitten with you earlier in the night, at least."

edited 14th May '14 9:54:37 PM by darksidevoid

The elevator kept winding its way skyward - it was a slow journey, but internal dampeners meant that its passengers hardly felt the high speed that it was actually moving at.

The woman Rick was making a beeline for was young, it was true, but her manner of dress seemed downright bizarre - the brown hair on the sides of her head was nearly to her waist, but the back and front both were cut short, while her clothing seemed to be half inspired by a dirndl and a sari - with the top of the former and the mobility-restricting bottom of the latter. Along the sides of her legs and like buttons down the center she had roses of every color - live roses, judging by the smell. She also had on a mask, styled like the face of a hawk and marked with a noble house's insignia that was fairly unfamiliar. Someone from Aube, perhaps, judging by the roses, though her skin and accent, once she spoke, called more to mind the Slavic populations of Nevskiy.

She turned at his words, and simply stared for a moment, mouth frozen mid-greeting. After a moment of shock she recovered, though her voice sounded incredulous, as if amazed that he'd actually speak to her. "Ah... Yes, hello," she said, lifting a glass of colorless liquor from the table, considering it. "I've been to worse, though the music could be more... Contemporary. I'll never understand the obsession with the past my peers seem to have." By the tone of her voice she didn't seem to hold them in much esteem. "And who are you, then?" she added, seeming curious.

"It's Robert." The Scot flatly stated at the nickname Richard had given him. His squad-mate went on regardless.

An observant individual would have interpreted Robert's expression regarding the explanation given as one of skepticism, coupled with almost a sense of amusement and slight suspicion of attempted leg-pulling. As with most things that were utterly inexplicable to him, Robert let Richard's ignorance of common trivia pass on and raised a glass to his squad-mate's new endeavor.

As Richard Sauntered away, Robert turned to the other two at the table with an interested smile. "Well now," he said, "do I sense another of those ever-popular 'Lee competitions' coming together here?"

edited 14th May '14 7:16:49 PM by SonofMelonHead