Mystical Mechanistics Of Outrageous Fortune [Dieselpunk Mechagirl Yuri Quest] (Reboot)

The incident happened on the beach.

You'd strayed from the more popular areas, walking into rougher terrain where the cliffs loomed higher and the surf crashed violently against red rocks that jutted from the sand like gnarled horns and teeth. A crab or two skittered across your path, but you paid them little mind, more focused on your lingering anger. The argument itself had been over something pointless and inconsequential, but your frustration with your parents was real, and the overcast weather seemed to match your poor mood. Stooping down, you picked up a long bit of driftwood, and poked it into the recesses of a nearby crag in the petty hope of ruining some crab's day.

Buried deep in your thoughts, you didn't notice the shadow that fell over you, or hear the distant clanking of machinery and subsequent whistling of air - not until something slammed hard into the ground behind you, the shockwave throwing you at least a dozen feet clear of the impact.

It took a moment to mentally shift gears and realize what had happened; you were suddenly sprawled out and half-covered in sand. The world swam and bobbed strangely as you struggled back to your feet, and your head throbbed. Turning, you came face-to-face with a blunt yet angular snout, featureless yet clearly watching you as it shifted to track your hazy, erratic movements. Steam wafted forth from narrow vents along the bottom edge of the apparent head, blowing uncomfortably warm in your face. You felt strangely calm yet, but there was a growing voice in the back of your head screaming that something was wrong here.

Trying to step backwards, you instead tripped over a hidden rock shelf beneath the sand, landing painfully on your rear and bashing your elbow against a boulder in the process. Your eyes went wide as you beheld in full the monstrous robot, stretching to its full height to loom over you. Somewhere between a crab and a scorpion, it stood on eight spindly-yet-strong mechanical legs, a long segmented body draping itself across the sand as a pair of arms reached forward on either side of you, tipped with long, slender claws. It gleamed smooth metallic black, interrupted only by glowing purple neon lines running along its length, and additional vents produced a steady flow of steam that clung to its arthropod form like a cloak. You distantly found yourself wondering what one of these was doing so far south, but now the proper panic was taking over.

Nearly hyperventilating, with blood pounding in your ears, you don't know how it was you'd regained your feet and ran. Still, a surprising amount of distance had been put between you and the machine when the first blast went off, a loud z-zap and dull boom blowing apart the spot you'd been a mere moment before. You dodged behind a boulder, only for another z-zap to send chunks of basalt flying everywhere.

The chase was short-lived; after a few more dodged bursts, the machine swiftly rushed at you and batted you down with a foreleg. You lay there frozen, staring helplessly as it raised its claws, the cannons within lowering and steadying toward you as the white radiance of compressed lightning built at the tip. You closed your eyes; a flash, a whining screech, and your terrified scream, and it was all over.

...

...Or so you'd thought, until you opened your eyes again. Standing over you was another machine, a tall and proud humanoid figure, its bronze armor gleaming even in the faint, watery sunlight just beginning to peek through the clouds. Smokestacks protruded from the back of the robot, emitting faint wisps of black smog that were quickly whisked away by the breeze. And one other thing you notice - a deep gash through one leg; you realized with a start that this machine had taken the hit for you.

Before you could comprehend the scene properly, though, your savior drew a weapon of its own, and in a single strike the fight was over - A single powerful shot left a gaping cavity through the arthropod robot, and the whole thing fell apart; the limbs and shell twinkling as they dissolved from existence, leaving a broken metal frame embedded with strange crystals.

You laid your head back again, just taking in the gold-streaked grey sky, listening to your breathing slow, still trying to comprehend the terror of what had just happened. You'd almost died, hadn't you? It didn't quite feel real. A moment later, a kind face came into view, bending down over you with an outstretched hand and a warm smile. "Are you okay?"

"Uh… I've been better," you responded with a weak smile, bruised elbow twinging as you reached up to accept her help. She pulls, firmly but gently, and upon finding your feet again, you realized how abnormally tall she was, looming protectively as she checked you over for more serious injuries. "but thank you. You saved my life!"

She looked away shamefacedly at those words. "If we'd gotten this contained earlier, your life wouldn't have been in danger to begin with. But… I'm glad to have helped." Once she was certain you weren't in severe danger, she pressed something into your hand. "Here, take this. As a token of apology. I have to go now; stay safe, okay?" She turned to leave before you could say anything, and you stared after her with a strange ache in your heart entirely unrelated to your wounds. You watch as she takes a seat within her own frame, crystals glowing as the mech reforms around it and hiding her from view. You watch as thrusters on the back propel her back up the cliff, leaping from outcropping to outcropping and then vanishing over the edge. You watch for several moments after, turning to stare at the sunset breaking through the dispersing clouds.

And then you ran, clutching the gift tight to your chest. Past the shattered frame of the robot that nearly killed you, back to the main part of the beach with the umbrellas and sandcastles and children splashing in the water; and the people who were out there less to enjoy the shore and more to keep their minds off the ever-present stress of knowing there was a war on, oblivious to how close the enemy got or how you were mere seconds from death. You found your parents, sitting crossly under an umbrella, and launched yourself into their laps. Tears were forming as it began to sink in - you might never have seen them again, and their last memory of you would have been a big dumb argument about nothing important. "I'm sorry," you cried, "I love you."

And though confused, they set aside their own worries and frustrations to simply hold you tight. "We love you too, no matter what."

---

---

That was four years ago, and the course of your life was changed by that moment. Now, the road it's led you down is nearing its destination. Your name is Alexandra Polinski, and you are eighteen years and three months old. It's a big day today; after training yourself and carefully following the progress (or lack thereof, thankfully) of the invasion through the papers, after submitting for the draft and taking a health inspection in the Capital, you are finally ready to travel north and west to the front. You read back through the letter lying on your dresser, even though you've memorized it by now:

"Dear Madam,

On behalf of the Mzendzyovka Defense Corp and Selective Service System, we would like to thank you for choosing to register for the non-mandatory draft. We are proud to report that your physical and mental scores from the examination not only meet the standards for participation, but were ranked third highest among the applicants this year, making you eligible for the Advanced Service. It is not an easy decision to make, but we urge you to consider participating in the Advanced Service; it is a position of great honor, power, and professionalism, and your support in repelling the invasion would be even more invaluable in this role. Please give your response within a week of receiving this letter…

Sincerely, MDC Secretary P.C. Smith and MDC Director A.E. Waite"

On the vanity beside the letter is the gift left to you by your savior, an insignificant accessory that means so much, that inspired you to follow in their footsteps and save others' lives as yours was saved then.

What Did You Get?
> A grey beaded bracelet From Beatrice Parzival of the Capital, a reclusive but kindly beauty. You are confident she'll be no different than when you met her.
> A copper pocketwatch From Nasira Demir of the east. She's got a reputation for being tough but fair, but you just know she won't be too hard on you.
> A black fiery bandanna Given to you by Victoria Conley. She's from the south, same as you! She's a reckless hothead, but you're sure she'll cool her flame for you.
> A silver snowflake necklace From Anastasia Svetlana of the north. You've heard she's become cold and distant in recent years, but you are certain she's the same woman of soft snow underneath.

Affixing the gift, you give yourself a last assessment in your vanity mirror.

How Tall Are You?
> Tall You tend to bump your head on things, but you've been able to reach the cookie jar for forever.
> Average You don't stand out much, but at least you don't stand out much.
> Short You're cute and sometimes get your way because of it, but tend not to be taken seriously ever.

Body?
> Toned It's gotten you mistaken for a boy sometimes, but you've worked hard and it shows.
> Feminine Average for your age, but still appealing.
> Spindly You're still growing out of your awkward teenage proportions.

What Is Your Hairstyle?
> "Intentionally" Messy Forgetting to comb this morning doesn't mean it looks bad...
> Bob Cut Favored among tankery prodigies and isomorphic algorithms.
> Short Ponytail Feminine, yet efficient.

Hair Color?
> Reddish-Pink
> White
> Black

Eye Color?
> Grey Like a comfortable wool blanket on an overcast day.
> Green Speaking of mystery and humor.
> Teal Matching the sea you grew up beside.
> Red To match the fire in your soul!
> Pink Conveying both kindness and power.

What Are You Wearing?
> Pencil Skirt And Suit You want them to know you're taking this seriously.
> Casual Dress And Bolero You want to look nice without going overboard.
> Sporty Top And Shorts You'll be ready if you're going to be put to work right away.
> Short Skirt And A Looong Jacket You want to look cool when you make your entrance.
> Your Reused School Uniform Getting a bit tight on you, but it's the thrifty option.

---

And here we go again; a second attempt at this quest, with hopefully 99% less QM incompetence and 1000% more actual progression. I would like to thank both of the lovely people who both encouraged me to go with the reboot option, and helped me improve on this initial post. (Won't call out names here, but you know who you are. ^_^ ) For old readers, you'll find that a lot from the original quest will be carried over, but I'm going to do my best to provide better choices and meaning; for new readers, welcome! You don't need to worry about reading the old quest to be able to follow what happens here; everything will be explained again here, and probably better at that. All in all, I hope to make this far more successful than the original run, and properly convey Alexandra's journey from here to... whatever might come.