[log] Decoherence [open]

[snowblindmods]

Characters: anyone
Location: In Norfinbury, and yet not.
Date: At all times, and yet not.
Summary: What you remember isn't what happened, probably. A place to play out situations that happened in the test drives or elsewhere. Things that happened and didn't happen.
Warnings: general horror warnings; please include more specific warnings in subject lines as necessary!

Comments

[cahooted]

I should be better than this.

[It's just a hint frustration in his voice that gives away he's not looking for excuses, he's genuinely confused by this. The weird sound however momentarily takes him out of it, taking a step back in surprise.]

What's with the arm? Are you a robot? Because being a robot is definitely something that should have come up in our preliminary rule discussion!

[sharktrash]

This what you always say when you start losin'?

[ Yeah, Squalo's just going to overlook that frustration to be an ass. Sorry. At least he's not abusing this chance to stab Flynn in the eye or whatever? Silver linings. ]

[ He considers whether he should be offended by the question, then barks out a laugh instead. ]

Like hell they make robots this good looking!

[cahooted]

No, I-- that was not an excuse!

[His defense immediately suffers when agitation and arguing gets in the way.

Focus had never been his strong suit.]

So what, it's a... prosthetic? [You can block with your arm, Squalo, that is an unfair advantage! He'll call on the judges, oh wait.]

[sharktrash]

[ That's cute. Squalo will try to use that to get some points in, but nothing too dangerous, for now. See, you totally underestimated his ability to not murder! Maybe. ]

Yeah. Problem?

[ YOU HAVE TWO HANDS, FLYNN. THAT'S AN UNFAIR ADVANTAGE. ]

[cahooted]

No? No, it's just--

[He grunts and retreats when a hit interrupts his thoughts and babbling.]

It seems quite advanced, where did you get it?

[A ROBO HAND IS STILL A HAND ARE YOU KIDDING HIM RIGHT NOW.]

[sharktrash]

[ Focus, Flynn! ]

Custom made. International company.

[ Probably costs the budget of a small country and he gets a new one at least every couple years. Bodyguarding pays pretty well and all. ]

[ IT'S LESS ADVANCED THAN SOME OTHER PEOPLE'S HERE, JUST SAYING. ]

[cahooted]

[Don't tell him what to do, you're not his real sword dad sparring crisis.]

International-- what does that even mean? Is that code for 'really famous company but nobody is supposed to know they are doing crooked things even though everybody kind of knows they do'?

[How are they from the same time again?]

[sharktrash]

[ BUT HE COULD BE ]

...you read too many conspiracy theories.

[ More like "this player has no idea which one of the famous mostly-Italian car factories would be the most likely to dabble in robotics and experimental prosthesis research and would rather not just pick a random brand name to be wrong". :( ]

[ So: insert a name of some electronics giant that has offices and/or labs in several countries here, probably. ]

[ Alternatively: it's some super secret military grade project and nobody's supposed to know anything about it. ]

[cahooted]

Well, it's a very conspirational story.

[He tries to get back into the fight, improving a little on stance and legwork but the distraction is there. Eventually, and a little out of breath,]

... So what happened to your arm?

[Sorry, sometimes his tact goes out the window when he's multitasking. Too much going on at the same time.]

[sharktrash]

[ It's probably not that conspirational, but Squalo just gives him a knowing smirk, just to fuel the fire, and doesn't comment further. The improved strokes and points is a welcome change, and so is the lack of tact. ]

[ He takes a couple seconds to reply, just because he's already basking in the complete falling apart of focus that he expects it'll cause. ]

I cut off my hand.

[ The key is in the first couple of words here. Not "lost", not "hurt", not "had" it removed for whatever reason. ]

[ ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) ]

[cahooted]

[Well yes, that would do it.

Flynn just stares at him, dumbfounded, the sword even sinking in utter surprise.]

You cut off your own hand? Why in the world would you do that?

[sharktrash]

[ Squalo grins and takes the chance to whack Flynn in the neck with his stick. It's not particularly dangerous, but it'll probably hurt. ]

Focus, Carlson! This is how people get killed!

[ ..............at least he got the "Car" part right? ]

[cahooted]

[Augh!!

Flynn yelps, jumping away and in an awkward circle, hand pressed against the spot as he swats his stick around like an angry bee, just to keep him at bay while he recovers.]

It's Carsen! Flynn Carsen!

[sharktrash]

Right.

[ He doesn't sound apologetic in the slightest, and cackles a bit as he jumps around some to avoid and/or block the swatting, letting out a high-pitched laugh when it does land on him at some point. ]

You're too easy!

[ But he'll step back to allow him to get a grip again, though never lowering his stick, expression more serious. ]

Wasn't lying, though. It was... a win condition. For the most important duel in my life.

[cahooted]

You call that easy?

[Puffing a breath and forces himself to let go of his neck and grab the stick with both hands again.]

A win condition? What, you... lost and had to cut off your hand?

[sharktrash]

Hell yeah! Bet you'd totally lose focus if someone flashed tits at you mid-fight. Too easy.

[ Now it's Squalo's turn to huff and look offended. ]

What? No way. I challenged the Sword Emperor, but his was the only technique I could never quite figure out. He was missing a hand, so I decided to... walk a mile in his shoes to better understand him. [ FLASHES A GRIN. That is a perfectly sound reason to cut off a limb, right? ] I won, of course.

[cahooted]

Flash-- why would they do that? Things like that don't even happen!

[You're not wrong, Squalo. You're not wrong. He'd probably die on the spot.]

You... you what? You cut off your hand to master a technique from a guy you could beat? [WHAT about that is even REMOTELY CLOSE to sensible!]

[sharktrash]

You just haven't heard of it 'cause things like that leave no survivors to tell the tale.

[ And he may have had drunken bar discussions about female pirates with nerds at some point. Don't judge him. ]

[ On a second thought, please judge him because his life is a Mess. ]

I couldn't. Not without this.

[ He pats the robo wrist fondly. ]

Think of it as an upgrade.

[cahooted]

That...

[... well, that does make sense, considering. BUT CAN WE NOT TALK ABOUT FLASHING, IT'S DISTRACTING OKAY.]

So what does it do? [He frowns.] That you can't do with a normal hand, I mean. Is it powered?

Because I'm not sure I would use the word 'technique' if it's just powered. [Look, Squalo, he's not going to call it cheating but depending on what your robo arm is actually there for he might call it cheating.]

[sharktrash]

[ Since Squalo's "off" hand is his flesh-and-blood one, he's going to use this chance to gracefully curl his robot fingers into a "fuck yourself" gesture and present it in Flynn's general direction. ]

It's missing the best part, obviously. Normally my arm's a mechanized sword system with no blind spots.

[cahooted]

[Okay, well. At least it's impressively mobile.]

Normally? You mean the city disabled it? [He swings his stick in a lazy half-circle.] It's affecting me, too. Usually I can analyze techniques a lot better.

[sharktrash]

That's a bit vague.

[ He pulls back enough so that he can pull his left glove off without getting whacked in the teeth with a stick while his hands are busy elsewhere, and turns the back of his fake hand toward Flynn. Sure enough, there's a sturdy-looking indent that is most certainly a slot for something. ]

Stole it, more like. Used to have a sword blade, right fucking here.

[cahooted]

I see what style my opponent is using and I know which historical technique would be best to counter it.

[Well. Flynn isn't exactly unhappy that the sword blade is gone.

Not that he's going to tell Squalo that. He has this thing called self-preservation.]

You mean one of those retractable... surprise... things?

[sharktrash]

Isn't that, like, education?

[ He doesn't get how being good at fighting is something this place could take away. It wasn't magic, just... being observant. What gives? ]

[ Also, please lament with him that swordfighting isn't an acceptable college major for some reason. He totally would've gone for "education" in that case. ]

Had one of those too. But no, an actual spatha blade.

[ He sort of gestures to show its length past his hand. That must've looked... rather intimidating, to be honest. ]

[cahooted]

You'd think, right? It's really frustrating. I don't just forget things, I never forget anything.

[Definitely glad the city took actual spatha blades away, though.]

Ooookay. Clearly you are really taking this sword thing very seriously.