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Calibration (BAHHSCQ/Sanctioned)

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QA's waifu has been confirmed as Anna...

And now the question must be asked... Who will be Taylor's waifu? Or will they share?

Inquiring minds want to know!
 
dracklor said:
I almost want Taylor to admit, after waking up, that yeah she was just making a house of horrors in an old abandoned complex she found, and that she went way overboard because of the drugs. :rofl:
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Clearly the traumatised Hell's Hand survivor is so traumatised that she prefers to pretend it was all a horrible nightmare that she made up. Kind Valkyries may tell her that "Yes of course no one really died. Clearly those corpses and the whole horrible Cycle are completely fake, and you're not really responsible for killing anyone or witnessing such awful sights. Would you like a hug?"
 
Kai Merah said:
Clearly the traumatised Hell's Hand survivor is so traumatised that she prefers to pretend it was all a horrible nightmare that she made up. Kind Valkyries may tell her that "Yes of course no one really died. Clearly those corpses and the whole horrible Cycle are completely fake, and you're not really responsible for killing anyone or witnessing such awful sights. Would you like a hug?"
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"No, the Cycle is totally real, it just didn't all happen here!"

"...now I need a hug..."
 
Alivaril said:
"As part of a collaborative effort, yes," QA dismissed. "They're emotional support units, not combat units; their weaponry is not meant to be viable in Valkyrie-level combat."

...
Queen Administrator giggled. Why would she disarm her creations after losing an engagement? Doing so would make it even harder to win in the future. The very idea exposed Setsuna's inexperience.

"Of course not. Symbie is upgrading their weapons, not removing them. Please do not attempt this on your own; it is likely that only Symbie can safely store them."
...
Most of Queen Administrator's home had been minimalist, utilitarian, and clearly constructed with defensibility in mind, trapped furniture included. The hidden basement containing Pandora discarded all of that; the walls and ceiling were a soft, cozy peach. False windows pretended to let in sunlight. The severe lack of restrooms explained Hebert's apparent fondness for modern baths. An amusingly advanced tea kettle could apparently prepare any given plant matter and convert it into the desired beverage.
...
<Any chance you could let me shape weapons out of my blood?>

<denied.>

<It was worth a try.>
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More fridge horror, as it took a re-read before I noticed this. A)she's got a lot more 'emotional support' friends than she thinks others need, which says a lot about her own opinions of her mental health... and B) there is an implication here that them having weapons is, to her mind, obviously part of their mission to give their Valkyries emotional support. And not even to stand sentry while they sleep (or the weapons would be valkyrie-level combat viable, not just to the level of perceived danger), but just for having them. Which might tie into the bit about those nanites targeting the ability to feel pain/fear, and other-Taylor's probable/potentially much more 'cheerful' attitude and enthusiasm for weapons when they see it (long term memory being a horror to itself). Not news to those keeping up to date on Hell's Hand, just more confirmation. But for the other Valk-students... (including her room-mate, who saw/approved how she secured their bedroom)

Also, I'm now wondering if (some of) the Arcology/valkyries/etc noticed her 'alert' message, even without being able to decode it. Implied mental programming...almost exactly what she was actually doing.

I'm now wondering if the oversight Valkyries are wondering if the Titles they use are positions/transferrable, due to her present tense comment about being a frequent friend. (eg The company IT director is often my friend).

Unrelatedly, Anna has experienced what the Friend can do for her, and knows QA has a number of them, which probably explains, to her mind, anything that needs explaining about how she's putting those information packets together to begin with, and why she's so much better at software than hardware. Given she arrived with just Symbie, her comments on safety, and her initial attitude about anyone trying to take Symbie away (see, the discussion about 'repurposing as spare parts', Anna might well be thinking 'Rose' has lost a lot of Friends, some of them due to Queen Shaper...and it's one of the few things she remembers about her life. (Edit: note, she did explicitly claim Symbie is her Friend in front of Anna, and Shaper giving her bad info might tie into Symbie not having an Impeller initially, since QA gave her one shortly after being supplied with more info on them...)

Also unrelatedly, I missed the symbology of the fake windows letting in sunlight the first time, with Taylor watching QA living her life like watching a neighbor's antics out a window.

Also also unrelatedly, that Taylor may have thought of nanites as weapons, so the memory-loss tea nanites might have been part of what she was thinking of making.

Your chapters are surprisingly fun to re-read a couple times.
 
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ir_fane said:
Your chapters are surprisingly fun to re-read a couple times.
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Thanks! It always makes me happy when people notice and appreciate the more subtle details in my works.

That's actually why I've been having so much trouble continuing some of my older quests — I used to do stuff like suppressing wordplay because it didn't work in Japanese (boy was that a mistake) or not realizing that a bunch of stuff good for tabletop RPs was utterly abysmal for quests. The most egregious example of the non-transference is probably giving people too many chances to change their minds based on new information, which leads to antifun rehashes of old votes.

I can do better going forward, but new readers might drop the quests before then. So, it's been easier to get myself to work on the surprisingly popular Sanctioned spinoffs instead.

(EDIT: Also, QA is a lot of fun to write in general.)


Anyway, the first draft of the next chapter turned out pretty bland from QA's POV, so we're doing Setsuna's angwy puppy impression instead. Tonight is pretty busy, but I'll see what I can get done tomorrow.

If I don't have the next chapter done by the end of Monday, I'll touch up the discarded content from earlier and add it as a canon DVD extra (AKA a sidestory).
 
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Alivaril said:
Thanks! It always makes me happy when people notice and appreciate the more subtle details in my works.
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Glad to help then :D

In that case, I'll also mention that Symbie's observed range, and recent research into ' Medical treatments for extreme brain trauma ' noted in the psych profile has interesting implications with regard to the repair nannies that they found in Taylor. The damaging nanites were arranged to appear to be a long-term thing, after all, but the repair ones... ? Maybe they already had stuff as good* or better and Symbie was just checking. Maybe Symbie found something and (someone) immediately implemented it (without Pandora's consent, given the timing?), but until now the damage was much more permanent (harder to fix). Given the general biology knowledge she has shown to have (with the Friends' brains/storage of personalities), and the Hell's Hand's rampant brain surgery, along with her trying to get Symbie to enhance her brain recently....they might have concluded that she has commands forcing her to not study/remember/something repairing brain damage, and worked around it by storing them where they couldn't be harmed. --and this may be an impression Symbie created intentionally, perhaps even leaving technical 'evidence' of such in the nanite designs (maybe we'll find out later, one way or another).

*Edit: yes, I know medical nanotech was already mentioned as patching up injuries in Hell's Hand, don't know how good it is relative to Valkyrie-land.

Also that given the command codes they've found evidence of, and the tea bags, that the mental harm might have been self-inflicted. (which was already a possibility to hide secret plans from herself --more so if they have command codes that can make her reveal such, or became exhausted at the cost of failed rebellions, but I mean self inflicted by orders she couldn't refuse). And if so, the specific method ... damaging access to long term memories, but not the memories themselves, might have been a 'literal genie' type obedience. (remembering she ealier stated that it was her fault because she _could_ recover the lost memories)
 
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Chapter 18: Provocation
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    • Special thanks to @saganatsu, @DB_Explorer, @fictionfan, @Adephagia, @DaGeek247, @Wordsmith, @LonelyWolf999, Jamie Wahls, @Elfalpha, and my 22 other patrons not mentioned here. An extremely enthusiastic "Thank you" to @Torgamous for her patronage as well. Also, if you're not on here, you fit the tier, and you want to be added, please tell me. >.>

    Beta-read by @Vebyast.


    Elsewhere in the cafeteria...​

    "I didn't misinterpret that, right? She really said Queen?"

    "It explains all the diamond unicorns, doesn't it? She's pretty clearly the ruler of a hidden magical kingdom. Between the Impactor and all the AGs, even magicals have to move with the times."

    "I can't share classified information," the one Elite at the table began, her lips twitching suspiciously, "but she is regularly accused of using 'magic' on the analytical boards. In fact, some of those accusations are public now."

    "Hey, yeah! Look, the Crafting Club said that the Friends might be powered by 'literal magic.' That sounds as though they're trying to leak classified information while making it seem as if it's a joke."

    "UNOMI really doesn't respect that sort of attempt. They would've edited the OP if it even hinted at anything important."

    "A few people would've seen it by then, though. When it's something seemingly absurd like magic, wouldn't it be less suspicious to leave it up?"

    "I honestly can't tell if you're all joking around or not and it's freaking me out. C'mon, there's nowhere to hide a magic kingdom."

    "Spacial warping is a thing. I do agree that the Internet doesn't seem to recognize any 'Queen Administrator,' though."

    "Well, yeah. They wouldn't be very hidden if we knew about them."

    ~ ~ ~​

    Setsuna felt as though she was going to explode. Instructor Shapira outright admitted that Taylor was getting special treatment, and even implied that Setsuna and Koujirou weren't good enough for their own Flight. So what if Taylor was going to push them hard? They were Valkyries! Taylor was right that hard work now could save their lives later.

    And that stupid smirk! Instructor Shapira smiled normally for everyone, even random passerby, except Setsuna and Kouji. Setsuna had photographic evidence and everything! Instructor Shapira clearly hadn't gotten the memo about favoritism being bad. Even the interrogation had been halfhearted despite Taylor blatantly knowing more than she let on. Taylor's answers left enough room to fit entire fleets.

    At least Setsuna wouldn't need to protect Koji from Taylor. The frequent doe-eyes in Anna's general direction were a blatantly obvious indicator of which team Taylor fought for. Honestly, Setsuna had the strange and unfamiliar feeling of needing to protect Taylor instead. Sure, the "Queen"—and Setsuna badly wanted to hear the story behind that title—was cocky, confrontational, and even a little intimidating sometimes. But she also alluded to involuntary memory modifications and named her pets Friends. If that didn't point to a disturbing and lonely childhood, Setsuna didn't know what did.

    Besides, Setsuna could no longer blame Taylor for getting indignant when Anna was challenged. Between a complete exemption from combat classes and Anna's ability to quickly and effortlessly suppress Taylor's panicking Friends? It was obvious that Anna was an Ace. To say that Setsuna couldn't learn anything from her was the height of hubris.

    Setsuna took a deep breath and shook her head. She was letting herself get riled up for no good reason. Okay, so her Flight was a bit of a mess. Fine. Better that than some vapid fangirls who just wanted to get into Koujirou's pants. The moron would probably even let them if Setsuna wasn't around to chaperone.

    "This is really weird and all, but one of our instructors is scarier than Taylor," Setsuna finally forced out. "And she's right about our careers. A little hard work now could save our lives down the line."

    "A good sentiment," Instructor Shapira promptly acknowledged. "Will it last, though? Cadet Rokusabe certainly seemed as though he intended to disagree with you. Those who try to coast off the hard work of their squadron will find their grades reflecting such a lackadaisical attitude."

    Setsuna turned to glower at Koujirou. The moron almost seemed surprised to be called out despite him declaring his opinions for the whole world to hear.

    "I mean–" Koujirou began, then stopped for a few seconds before trying again. "Isn't it important to mix some relaxation with work? We can't spend all our time training. We'll burn out. Anyway, as long as Taylor isn't a bi—uh, jerk, then I don't see why we won't be fine. Yeah, she's a bit rough around the edges, but she isn't malicious."

    "The need for dedicated relaxation periods is a human limitation," Taylor agreed, ignoring his blatant attempt to change the subject. "Valkyrie Cores exist so that you might overcome those."

    "...Uh," the moron stalled. "Hold on. What?"

    Setsuna expected the instructor to take the reins at that point. It was,after all, her job. Instead, Instructor Shapira seemed more interested in watching Taylor out of the corners of her eyes.

    "As I understand it, Valkyrie Cores do not automatically act to improve their partners. A need must be found and acknowledged in order for it to be addressed. Similarly, they will not do all the work on their own. They can help you achieve your goals, but you must also do what you can to solve your own problems. If personal improvement is not enjoyable, then you must act to make it so."

    "It often isn't healthy to make fights against AGs fun," Instructor Shapira added. "There's still a lot of leeway there, though. Tag, hide and seek, catch, baseball, and even video games are all incredibly different in a Valkyrie Frame. That being said, newer cadets will have limits to how long they can keep their Frame expressed. Keep your Frame expressed up to those limits whenever you can, and yes, you'll likely be able to afford spending some of your spare time goofing off."

    A flicker of a pout crossed Taylor's features before they returned to eerie neutrality.

    "That mentality may be why I have yet to see anyone better than Anna," Taylor disagreed.

    Kouji turned to Setsuna with a half-hidden grin.

    Catfight, he mouthed.

    Setsuna was tempted to hit him on general principles. Too bad she wasn't allowed to do that anymore. She'd just need to make a mental checklist of offenses and punish him during training.

    "I am not someone you should emulate," Anna abruptly disagreed.

    Setsuna saw the instructor bite off a silent curse. Koujirou whispered a quiet, "Yikes."

    Taylor seemed surprisingly unbothered by the self-depreciation from her obvious crush. Then again, that might just be caused by the eternal mask of neutrality.

    "Few flaws exist that cannot be worked around, and few entities exist that do not have anything to teach us. Remember their contributions, imitate the parts worth keeping, and archive the rest. Anna Sanchez–"

    "Just call me Anna," Anna automatically interrupted despite her obvious and growing discomfort.

    Given the obvious favoritism, Setsuna was surprised that Instructor Shapira hadn't interrupted yet. Maybe the teacher didn't want to take sides between two favorites? Especially since Anna's request earned a surprisingly adorable smile from Taylor in the moment before forced neutrality prevailed.

    "Anna, you and Durga optimized yourselves for combat and have done an excellent job. We will not automatically inherit any perceived personal flaws by emulating your successes. As an example: You are apparently modifying secure communications to be less secure, but also far less energy intensive."

    Anna slipped from discomfort to confused blinking. Setsuna clapped one hand over her mouth to avoid snickering aloud. The probably-Ace Valkyrie reminded Setsuna of a baby animal encountering something strange and bewildering.

    "The originally recommended design could have converted a significant stretch of land to ionized carbon," Anna stated. "Even should the energy demands be met, I do not understand how that would be safe to receive. The substitute should be adequate to avoid Antagonist interception."

    ...Um. Setsuna's brain stalled. What, does it only count as secure if there's nobody left to hear it?

    "Some messages must be delivered regardless of whether the recipient wishes to hear them," Taylor said, her eyes sliding away as she shifted uncomfortably. "After assistance from related systems, the energy requirements may not be as large as they seem."

    Taylor continued use of monotone overshadowed her ominous words for the better part of two seconds before Setsuna's brain caught up. Messages that the recipients can't refuse? What is she, a gangster? Setsuna supposed that Friends would probably share pillows with their people at some point, but that didn't have quite the same impact as the usual horse head.

    On the other side of the table, Instructor Shapira looked as though she'd bitten into something sour and Monica looked... smug? Setsuna would definitely need to ask about that one. It was Koujirou who broke the silence, though.

    "Hey, uh," Koji began. "I think we've all exited our comfort zones. Why don't we focus on our food for a bit and go hit a sim? Taylor, you can show off your Impeller control or whatever and Anna can tell all of us what we're doing wrong. Assuming you aren't sticking around for that long, Instructor?"

    The moron's smile turned to panic when Taylor abruptly stood up. Setsuna, remembering how Taylor had ditched them before, did not share his dismay. Setsuna was confident it was just Taylor Taylor'ing again.

    "Contact me when you are finished eating and have reserved a simulation room. I have a new Friend design to show the Crafting Club."

    "God save us all," Instructor Shapira muttered before seamlessly transitioning to a normal volume. "I also have classes to prepare for. Try not to make an all-consuming neurological nanoplague or something, okay?"

    That's a possibility!?

    "Friend personality storage is finite and could not..."

    Taylor trailed off and tilted her head to one side.

    "Taylor, no," Instructor Shapira said sharply.

    Bad dog. Did saying that ever actually work? Setsuna would probably want to continue out of sheer spite.

    "I did not intend to create anything of that nature!" Taylor protested. "I simply realized that lesser drones slaved to a controller could significantly reduce the need for personality storage. Hijacking the slaved units would be possible without the standard Friend security measures, although that also means I could forcibly reassume control if necessary."

    Instructor Shapira dragged one hand down her face in obvious exhaustion.

    "I want to say that's a bad idea, but your E-war will probably confuse the Antagonists even more than us. You have fun with that. Don't be afraid to ping Perth if you need help or a rescue, okay?"

    "The Crafting Club does not meet the standards established by Anna's existence, but they are still helpful. They are also allies; I doubt I will need an extraction."

    "Famous last words, kid."

    "Hey uh, could we come along?" Koujirou interjected. "Clubs aren't supposed to meet this early in the day, so you're doing it in another cafeteria, right? We can still eat together."

    Taylor began walking backward, swerving around other people in the cafeteria without apparent issues.

    "Anna and Instructor Shapira are likely the only individuals present to meet their standards. You would just get in the way."

    And with that rather rude conclusion, Taylor spun around and stalked off. Setsuna stared at her back and tried not to take it personally. It was true that they didn't really know anything about construction or engineering, but did Taylor have to say it like that? Setsuna was a fast learner!

    "That girl would make a flight entirely out of Friends if we let her," Instructor Shapira grumbled. "See why I don't think you'll want to stick around?"

    Setsuna's disappointment instantly overwrote itself with indignation.

    "With all due respect," Setsuna began, wishing she could yell at an instructor, "you aren't our instructor. Even if Taylor is getting special treatment, you aren't the one who decides whom she gets to make a Flight with."

    "Yeah, we get it: her social skills are so bad she might as well be from a magical monarchy stuck in the Middle Ages," Koujirou contributed. "Like I said earlier, though, she's not malicious. Leaving her over that would be a total dick move."

    "I suppose you would know: you're one of the only Valkyries with one of those," Instructor Shapira dryly replied.

    The instructor stood up and stalked off before Koujirou and Setsuna could do more than splutter and stare. Weren't instructors supposed to act more professional than that? She'd alluded to his bits and insulted him at the same time! Okay, so other teenagers said worse all the time, but still!

    "Well, screw you too," Koujirou muttered. "Setsu? Let's prove her wrong, okay?"

    Setsuna scowled and nodded.

    ~ ~ ~​

    Instructor Shapira sent off an apology to Anna and kept firm control of herself until she was well outside the cadets' observation range. She finally let herself slip into laughter in the halls outside. Good grief, new teenage Valkyries were just so predictable!
     
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    • ahahhahahahahahahha.

    That was hilarious.
    'I dunno, we might want to find a different Flight...'
    <Instructor Shapira> *insults and dickjokes*
    'SCREW YOU WE'RE GONNA BEFRIEND HER AND BE AWESOME WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT!'
    <Shapira> Just as keikaku.

    Edit: Oh, I got UNOMI'd. Oh well.
     
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    Ah, yes. Now we just need glinting glasses for that Smug 100 score. Also, Coke Zero's protagonist is showing.
    Also, QAylor's doing damage! Soon Anna's resistance will be break and handholding will happen!
     
    Well... How is this new motivation going to make things meltdown now?

    Probably in new and interesting ways!
     
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