The Crucible (Open)

[Roromi 435]

Kantai Acadamy

Haruko’s heels clicked loudly on the smooth wooden floors that the school had. She had just arrived for the day and was excited to start her new section on American Literature. She carried a banker’s box filled with various items which she was excited to use for her class. 

At this point in the morning there were sparely any students, but a few were there. She paused when she came to her classroom door and frowned. Her hands were full with the box and it was of course an old fashion sliding door. She contemplated how to open the passageway when it slid across. 

“Here you go ma’am.” A calm voice said, a male student who she didn’t recognize came from behind her to slide it open. She tilted her head in brief confusion, “Thank you…” Her voice trailed off as she hoped the student would introduce themselves. The boy offered a weak smile, he wore a bandage around his left eye. He looked like he was fairly battered up, but his appearance was a stark contrast to his crisp new uniform. 

Haruko walked into her classroom and moved to set the box on her desk. “Are you a new student?” She called behind her to the youth. 

The boy lurked by the door and moved inside before bowing. “Yes ma’am I’m transferring from Anno…” His voice trailed off as he debated what to say exactly. He fumbled around and produced a paper from a holder he was holding. Walking over he handed it to her, “My name is Kai.” 

As he handed Haruko the paper the two shared a moment where they looked at each other a long moment. Haruko took the page and began to read it over, “Have I seen you around town?” She asks blindly as she reads over the transfer paperwork. Kai tilted his head in contemplation, “I don’t know ma’am its possible. I just moved to the area last year with my grandparents.” Looking around nervously, Kai walked over to the box. “Can I help you unpack ma’am?” 

Haruko looked up smiling, breaking her trance from the form he handed her, “You certainly may Kai! My name is Ms. Okazaki.” 

Her polite smile put Kai at ease and he helped her fish the materials out of the box to place on her desk. At first it seemed to be all papers and books, then his hand trembled when he reached in and pulled out a gunpla. “Is this what I think it is?” He asked as he held up the figurine in the light for his inspection. 

Haruko chuckled as she glanced at Caliburn. “Oh!” She huffed, “Yes that’s a Real Grade Caliburn, they’re a bit of a myth. Some people don’t think they even exist. I don’t know the whole story myself, my brothers made that for me. To be honest I havent even seen Witch from Mercury.” She rambled on. 

Kai’s face fell slightly at her admission for not watching the show and that she didn’t make it but he was still entranced by the crafstmanship. “I‘ve never seen one.” He admitted quietly. 

She smirked at him, “They built it for me stock. Of Course that’s no fun, so I had a go at it with my airbrush.” Kai looked from the figure to her, “You mean you painted this?” He asked in awe. Beaming she nodded her head, “Yup! I’ve painted and customized my fair share of Gunpla! I always loved how this girl always looked like a witch so I thought I would paint her to try and look like one!” 

Kai made note of the metal skirt and the headgear that was added to faintly resemble a hat and dress. Shaking his head he smiled and offered the figurine to her. “Well its expertly put together Ms. Okazaki!” She nodded her appreciation as she took the Gunpla and moved to set it on the front of her desk, “I thought it would go well with out lesson on the Crucible.” She beamed. “And how about you Kai-Senpai? Do you enjoy Gunpla?” 

It struck Kai how innocent that question seemed at that moment. Did she realize the gateway that type of question was for someone like him? He managed a bitter smile and nodded, “Yes, as a matter of fact.” He said simply. By this point more kids were joining the classroom, the din growing louder with each moment. “I’ll have to show you sometime.” He resigned with a small smile and a nod. 
 

Haruko waved Kai over suddenly as if to tell him something. He smiled sheepishly thinking it was still about Gunpla when she grabbed his arm and made him turn around. “Class this is Kai, he’s our newest student.” Kai then realized he was being formally introduced and that class had started. He soon took his seat near the back of the class. His mind drifted constantly back to the Gunpla on Okazaki’s desk. 

[FrostyFoster 473]

Makoto Shirasu thought intently about how he'd spend his time after being ousted from the Fashion Club as he sat near the window in Ms. Okasaki’s classroom. American literature used to be a class where he could get ideas on how fashion in the West worked. While something like The Grapes of Wrath wasn’t going to help, at least learning about that faraway land helped him understand the history of trends and changing styles. However, Makoto no longer had the power he once had as president. Now, it was just another class.

It wasn't as if Ms. Okazaki was a poor teacher. She was always friendly enough, even if her interest in those Gunpla toys was slightly shocking to him. Makoto noticed the new kid from his desk being introduced. “What gang fight was he in?” The silver-haired boy thought as he noticed the bandage. “At least he kept the uniform presentable.” While not completely fond of the school’s uniforms (he had tried to get them changed in the past to no avail), Makoto did appreciate it if they were well-kept by the students. 

Makoto twisted his pencil with his fingers as the new kid sat down. Ryuji, from three desks to the right, gave the former fashion maestro a nasty glare, a common occurrence once he took over as president of the club. “Everything that half-wit learned came from cheap magazines and mediocre dramas.” Makoto could only smirk back as he thought about his former club fading from obscurity. That being said, he still needed to find something else to spend his time doing…

[Replicator 184]

A conspicuous Cadillac coupe came to a halt at the academy’s doorstep. “Here ya go, boy. Knock ‘em dead.” said the driver, disengaging the door lock so Fabio could open the door and step out, a school bag in his hand. “Thanks, Unc Joe.” Joevanni, likelier to be the next Prime Minister than his actual relative, gave him a crooked smile. “Don’t get used to it, kid. Hey, swing by South City on ya way back. We gotta have a meetin’ of minds, and ya own half the ones in that building. Fu...” Fabio closed the car’s door, cutting off his words. "...n brainless I tell ya" The beige coupe swerved carelessly into traffic, looking like a battleship compared to the small kei cars on the road.

He walked into school like a menace, wearing the uniform’s white shirt with the sleeves rolled back, cool sunglasses and way too much gel on his hair. Where he went, students stepped out of his way and exchanged wild rumors with one another. “You’re new here, so we’ll warn you. That guy over there? He was in prison for robbing a gun truck.” a few of them told a girl, probably part of some plot to impress her. “What is a dangerous person like that doing here? I thought this was a prestigious school!” It amused Fabio to listen to the nonsense they said as he walked by. He would’ve stayed and heard more of it, but then, a tune echoed through the school. He was running late for his class.

The sliding door opened and Fabio entered the classroom. Unfortunately for him, everyone was already in their seats and ready for the class to begin, so he had to make his entrance with everyone’s eyes on him, including his upset-looking teacher. Barely bothered, he just shrugged at the teacher and produced the most half-assed excuse one could possibly come up with, in Japan of all countries. “Trains...” He then made his way to his seat near the back, only to find a weird new kid sitting in it.

“What the hell. Sunglasses in a classroom… beat halfway to death. But he’s Japanese…” Thinking, he stood by Kai for a few seconds, studying him from above. He didn't know what to make of him. For a moment, it seemed as if Fabio was about to make a problem out of it. “Heh.” But in the end, he just let out a chuckle at Kai, dismissing him as a garden variety Japanese delinquent, and took his bag to another free seat.

Edited April 19 by Replicator

[Roromi 435]

Haruko rolled her eyes as Fabio gave one of his predictably bad excuses. By this point she was used to his shenanigans and knew better than to engage him in a petty squabble. There had been more than a share of rumors surrounding that boy and she didn’t want to inflate his ego any more than it ought to be. She waited a few heartbeats before he sat down to begin, “Well class!” 

As Ms. Okazaki began her lecture about the Crucible with some brief American history about the Salem witch trials Kai sat at his desk wondering just what that guy was doing standing in front of his desk like that. She shifted uncomfortable once the class started and reached up to take off the glasses he had put on in an effort to hide his injured eye. They were proving to be more irritating than helpful and he sighed, a couple more days and he could at least take off the eye patch. 

He attentively took a few notes as Ms. Okazaki worked through her material. It was obvious to him that she was a very enthusiastic teacher, the type where it was hard not to find their topic interesting. Of course, it probably helped that she seemed very relatable to the student body. Despite her best efforts though, Kai found his attention waning and he soon began doodling on his notes. 

On the side of his English notes he had began to draw a very convincing picture of a GINN High Maneuverability Type. The drawing was almost more schematic with front, back, and side views. With a pen he even began to doodle proposed design patterns on the ZAFT machine. He had an interest in that particular machine for awhile and had even assembled one and was merely planning on what type of modifications he would begin after school. He was contemplating painting the unit a matte red and chrome silver. A far cry from his usual stock paint jobs.  

A bell rang telling him that class was over. He shuffled his papers around suddenly embarrassed about his drawing. He tried to hide the paper but in his effort didn’t realize that it had dropped onto the floor and slide Makoto’s way along the slick floor. Kai had no idea that he had even lost the page with his meticulous drawing. 

Haruko spoke up above the din of the classroom as many students began to get their things together for their next class. “Just a reminder, the administration has asked me to remind everyone that last hour is for club use. If you don’t have a club please come talk to me and I’ll see what kind of interests we could get together for new activities! That’s all!” 

Kai stood up and nearly bumped into Fabio. In his day dreaming doodle state he had forgotten about the kid from before and grimaced. “Sorry.” He muttered quietly. Perhaps he was still feeling jumpy from his beating at his previous school, but he wasn’t so eager to make enemies at this new school already. 

[FrostyFoster 473]

“Crap!”

Makoto was almost ready to leave until Ms. Okazaki spoke about clubs. Once the teachers were making mention of it, he knew that time had run out. “Wait, maybe I can find my way outta this.” He pondered while shoving his notes into his satchel. Makoto realized that he'd never actually told his parents about being kicked out of the photography club. There was a chance that he could keep the charade going for a while.

As he approached his teacher, he contemplated which club would require the least mental effort. He thought that joining something like the Dance Club would take too much time and practice, while the Debate Team would need extensive knowledge about topics that were completely unimportant to him. He decided to explore his options and asked his instructor, "Ms. Okazaki, what clubs are available for me to join?"

[Replicator 184]

"Forgeddaboudit." Fabio thought.

He stood up and grabbed his bag, ready to leave for the cafeteria to grab a bite. He didn't have any intention of staying after the last class for club time, when he could walk to Joevanni's and get some work done. But as he tried to leave, he was surprised to bump into Kitamura - his probation officer, standing right by the door. He wagged his finger at Fabio, with a stern look on his face. Joining a club and participating on its activities was part of the list of proposed reforms he agreed to in order to get probation. Fabio had no choice but to sneer and make his way towards the teacher's desk, where Okazaki and Shirasu were standing.

Kitamura was leaning hard on him and it didn't look like he'd let Fabio leave without at the very least joining a club that day. As he arrived to the desk and let Shirasu speak, he thought about any clubs he could join to get the P.O off his back. "Judo? I'd rather fight like a man. Debate? It's a jerk off. Calligraphy? Fuckin' nauseating." Before he knew it, it turned out his pompous-looking classmate was also asking Okazaki about the clubs. He pointed at Shirasu with his thumb and spoke up. "What he said, basically."

Edited May 15 by Replicator

[Roromi 435]

Haruko blinked in disbelief. While she had indeed made the announcement about after school activities, she certainly didn’t expect any students to actually approach her. “Oh is that so?” She said almost apologetically as her eyes darted from boy to boy. She put on her typical cheery smile and put a finger to her chin. 

Makoto always struck her as a fancy type of guy. It was curious why he wasn’t already in another club, in fact she could have sworn he was already. She was about to point her finger at him to say just that when she suddenly remembered Fabio. “You two together huh?”

It was the first thought out of her mouth. If Makoto was a dandy then Fabio was a gangster. The teen seemed to be either always in trouble or looking like he should be. Perhaps this was a chance to steer him straight? “Well umm.” She froze, genuinely perplexed by this uncanny approach from students who didn’t normally hang out together or associate with one another. 

Her thought was interrupted by the quiet voice of a third student, “what about Gunpla?” Haruko snapped out of her gaze to peer up at Kai. The boy stood up somewhat unsure or himself and shrinking back from his own words as he looked at everyone around him. “I saw the abandoned GN bases, and old displays in the hall. That equipment is expensive; surely there was a gunpla club here before correct?” 

Ms.Okazaki offered a sincere smile and nod of her head. “That’s right Kai; there once was a club here but interest waned some years ago. The school never got rid of the equipment. They’re older units but with a firmware upgrade would be compatible with modern Gunpla battle standards…” she mused as she tapped her chin again. 

Haruko seemed to then remember Fabio and Makoto at that moment. “Well what do you boys think?” She ask as she folded her arms over her chest and shifted the weight of her legs. “If you guys were interested three people would be enough to reinstate that club. And I could sponsor it. Do either of you have any experience or interest in gunpla?” She nodded to the Gunpla on her desk as of to accent her point. 

[FrostyFoster 473]

Makoto was surprised, but not necessarily shocked by the proposition of a Gunpla club. After all, while he never had much interest in the hobby, Gunpla building and battle was quite the popular sport and some fashion magazines he read even featured models alongside… other models. The human kind. That being said, he knew practically nothing about the franchise. Makoto wasn’t the type to watch anime and it wasn’t like he was visiting any of those statues anytime soon. “This is the one where they use pink laser swords, right?” Thinking as he looked once again at the Gunpla on his teacher’s desk.

”Experience? None. Interest? Not particularly.” At first, Makoto was wishing to partake in another club, not even really knowing the other two applicants here, but a thought did pop into his head. “People do customize these toys. Maybe, in a way, this IS a type of fashion. Just much smaller.” Jumping at this possible opportunity, the student accepted the offer. “Alas, I am a man of creation, so if the others are appealed by it, I shall join.”

[Replicator 184]

Fabio was similarly shaken by the mention of Gunpla as a possible option for the club. A few seconds ago, he couldn't hold the slightest bit of interest, now Ms. Okazaki had his complete attention. After all, it was 'this kit of ours' he was a part of.

That wasn't to say he had an interest or experience "using" Gunpla. Up until then, Gunpla was just a commodity to him, something that could be sold for exorbitant prices, when the right customer was found. Assembling a kit just took the value out of it.

Still, it was an interesting thing to try. Who was to say this couldn't turn into a lucrative business opportunity down the line? He exchanged a glance with his two possible clubmates, and nodded, trying his hardest not to betray his emotions. "I'm in."

[Roromi 435]

Ms. Okazaki smiled as each of the boys gave their input. She had to admit she was pleasantly surprised by this turn of events. Nodding she beamed, “Well alright then!” She stepped back behind her desk to have a seat. She quietly began clicking away on her computer an a moment later she printed out an official form. “I’ll sign and send this to the administration tonight!” She announced proudly, “How about we goto the gym where the equipment is in and start tidying up the place!” 

The teacher stood up excitedly and led the boys through the hallways to the sliding door for the gymnasium that had a couple of the GN arena fields arrayed in the middle of the room. Flanking the two units were small rows of chairs. Haruko switched on the lights, causing the florescent bulbs to flicker ominously. The walls were adorned with different minor trophies and even a couple shelves of gunpla from past members. “So, over here is the master control. I’ll log in and start the firmware update. How about you boys look around and start tidying up?” Her heels clicked loudly on the wooden floor as she went to the computer. 

Kai looked around in wonder as he took in the alien environment. It was different yet somehow similar. He wondered over to the station and dragged off the tarp that was protecting one of the stations. He marveled at the machine and ran his fingers along the plastic and metal. Despite everything that had happened to him he found himself grinning as he felt the nostalgia hit him. He looked around at Makoto and Fabio. “So, I’m guessing neither of you have built a kit before?” He asked. Kai’s stature seemed to grow and his voice grew more steady. “I should warn you both I was pretty big into this at my old school. I’m actually working on a new model now” Kai wore a grin on his face but it hardly seemed comforting. He looked away from his club mates back to the GN Base. Ideas began to flow through his head and he suddenly grew very curious about what kind of models the other two boys would inevitably create. 

“The update is under way!” Haruko announced as she spun out of her seat to stand up. “It sounds like Kai has a kit already planned. Maybe we should look at some catalogues and start planning on kits for you boys?” She asked as she moved to the other GN Base to remove the tarp protecting it. Slowly the reality sunk in that this idea was gaining momentum. 

[FrostyFoster 473]

“Too gaudy. Too blue. Too top heavy.”

Flipping through the catalogues, they weren’t too different from the types of fashion magazines he’d read, only in that these models were the plastic kind. That being said, none of these toys were particularly enticing to him. “Seed kits? Are they plant based or something?” He muttered while continuing to find something, anything that could fulfill his outrageous standards. Flipping and flipping, he finally found one.

“It…It has hair? These robots are allowed to have hair?”

At that moment, his choice had been made. The simplicity of the color scheme made its beauty stand out even more along with its slim physique. “I’ll go with this Gundam zero zero kit.” He stated, pointing at the boxart.

[Replicator 184]

Just like his classmate, Fabio was looking intently at another one of the catalogs. "Want something classy. Like an Escalade." His gaze soon stopped over the box art of the High Grade GM. "See, this one says Jee-Em, so they must-a made it. But it looks really basic. Must be a Chevy…" He thought, and kept looking. He then arrived at the GM Type C, which looked more rugged and, more importantly, beige.

"Eef-seff mass producive mobile suit… what’s the Eef-Seff anyways?" he wondered within earshot of Kai, who shook his head. He was still stunned by Makoto’s earlier pronunciation and was equally flabbergasted by Fabio’s. Clearing his throat, he leaned in closer to the other kid, “It’s Earth Federation Space Force…” He offered a polite smile to Fabio, who first gave him a look of bewilderment, then of alarm, and finally, indignation. “Federation… Feds?! Fuck that!”

After spending a while with another catalog and sifting through unbearable waves of Gundams, most of them operated by the dreaded Feds, Fabio found his way to the Zeon section and laid eyes upon the fine MS-14A Gelgoog, which as a bonus came with extra parts to use it as an MS-14C Gelgoog Cannon. Something about that Mobile Suit just clicked with him. “Hmm. This is more like it...”

Edited June 14 by Replicator

[Roromi 435]

Kai rubbed the bridge of his nose as he heard how his classmates chose their units. It wasn’t perhaps how he would have gone about choosing his kits but who was he to complain? He almost didn’t realize that Ms. Okazaki was looking at him then, he could tell she was expecting him to contribute as well. Clearing his throat he picked up the catalog from Fabio and flipped to one of the previous Seed pages. It took him a moment but he soon tapped his finger on a particular kit. 

The GINN High Maneuverability Type.” He said with a crooked smile. It wasn’t a particularly good kit on its’ own, it wasn’t even that popular. It was certainly more of a fan kit if anything. “It’s a grunt unit from Gundam Seed. I was going to repaint and add some detail to it. There’s also a trick I was going to implement…” It was then that he looked from Fabio to Makato before explaining. 

*****

A few days passed and while they met every day after class Ms. Okazaki and Kai took their time demonstrating good model building techniques. Kai brought in models each day, old units he decided to donate to the club so they could use them indiscriminately for skirmishes. 
Of course, the team as a whole seemed miles away from that point. Ms. Okazaki, as well as Kai both agreed that it would be better to work on the fundamentals of building first. The first couple of days Kai brought in his GINN to work on; he went over the basics of painting, and panel lining and was even showing them how to add PLA plate, and scribe. He didn’t know what parts Fabio and Makato would cling onto, but wanted to show them either way. 

That evening at the end of class, Kai walked up to the gym where they had set up shop. Today he had brought in an older airbrush kit he had, and was going to see if anyone else wanted to give it a try. Who knows, maybe one of them had actually bought their designated kit already, and brought it in?

[FrostyFoster 473]

Makoto had somehow managed to build his kit without breaking or ruining any part of it. “I almost lost some of those clear pieces.” He stared while pointing at the chest of the Nadleeh. “Lots of small parts too. I’m surprised people can finish these toys without issue.” Nevertheless, the High Grade was complete, standing tall with its beam rifle and shield.

Noticing that Kai had brought an airbrush, he didn’t want to risk messing up his creation that annoyed him so much. “Hmm, the hair color can change…” Taking the pieces out of its head, the Nadleeh received a new bright green look from the hair stylist known as Makoto. “Wish I could redo its hair, but the plastic isn’t that bendable.” With only a minor difference, the Nadleeh still stuck out, ready for battle.

[Replicator 184]

Fabio had gone ahead and brought a Gelgoog to the class. He had picked it up from Unc's backdoor store since it had better prices, though Fielder, the "clerk", couldn't stop peppering him with questions. "You sure you don't want paint for that? At least a decal set? Don't come bitchin' to me later!" Fabio brushed him off and brought just the kit in a dingy cardboard box, haphazardly labeled 'hgoog 500¥'.

He became unexpectedly engrossed in building the thing. Even if he was having a little trouble handling all the small pieces and he was leaving scratches all over the kit, the instructions were intuitive and the parts snapped together, as they should. By the time he finished, he was very proud of his creation. He couldn't see a thing wrong with his Gelgoog, until he thought of looking over at Makoto's kit, with its vibrant colors and beautiful box art. "The fuck..."

"Why's yours come painted already?!"

[Roromi 435]

Ms. Okazaki stood over her students beaming as they finished their models. Could she tell they were beginners? Of course, but she could also see they were actually putting in an honest effort. “Wow great job guys! I can tell you each chose those kits with great care!”

Kai stood across the table with his arms crossed. He could tell they were beginners, and he did his best to hide his contempt. Last thing he wanted was to repeat his exit from his previous school. He focused on each unit, first Nadleeh, then the Gelgoog. Taking a deep breath he cleared his mind and tried to focus on the positives.

Walking over to the table, the would-be hot shot reached out and inspected each kit. Silently nodding he held Nadleeh and regarded Makoto, “We could use alternative materials, maybe some sort of tubing or wiring for the hair?” He suggested. Putting down the Gundam he then reached for the Gelgoog.

“Did it come painted like this?” Kai flipped the kit around marveling at the rather simple stealthy color scheme. He had to admit there was something off about the entire kit. It looked both official, yet slightly different at the same time. “Some of these mold lines are weak… Maybe you should etch them deeper so they pop out better…” He mused in deep thought. Shrugging he handed the Gelgoog back with an amused grin.

“You guys might want to buy additional copies of your kits, odds are they’re gonna get dinged up and you’ll need to repair or replace entire parts once you start battling.” Kai look up to Ms. Okazaki. The teacher nodded before adding, “Kai is right, your units will function better based on the quality of the kit provided. Any damage you receive in a Gunpla Battle will reflect on your kit. Perhaps at the end of class Kai would be gracious enough to give you a demonstration?” She suggested looking at the boy. Kai offered a smile back and nodded.

[FrostyFoster 473]

There was a point to be made in order for the hair to truly flow. Makoto put that suggestion in the back of his mind, especially after learning he’d have to make multiples of the same kit.

“Additional copies?” He asked, assuming the battling section of this hobby didn’t actually damage any of your kits in combat, only simulated it. “After all that time I spent putting the little pieces together…” Makoto thought, but understood his assignment now. This was just designing a new type of fashion, he’d also have to be the runway model, flaunting the beauty of the Nadleeh at every moment during a duel.

Nevertheless, he would soon see how exactly Gunpla Battle looked as he awaited Kai’s demonstration…

[Replicator 184]

Fabio sat as Kai studied his Gunpla. At first, he was a bit ashamed that his kit seemed to be of lower quality than the others, but when Kai set it down, he felt as if the all-black color scheme was not bad at all. "Besides..." he thought, "if anything happens to it, I can build another right outta the box..." That was where the bootleg kits made and sold by his outfit shined - they were really cheap to buy in bulk for any nefarious plastic activities, and pretty anonymous, too.

While he had enjoyed the activity of building the kit, he still didn't get anyone putting anything beyond the pure minimum effort into prettying up something that might get wrecked in a battle. However, he was fairly stoked about the idea of trying out Gunpla Battle with his newly built Gelgoog, after all, he had a reputation to uphold as the school's best fighter - at least, so he felt.

[Roromi 435]

Ms. Okazaki gave her silent approval as Kai went around talking to his classmates. She loved seeing students interact towards a common goal. Although building was very important it was only half the purpose of any Gunpla club these days. “Kai would you like to help me give a demonstration?” She asked innocently enough.

Kai perked up when the teacher said his name and he nodded. “Sure!” He walked over to the GN base on one of the tables and placed his GINN onto the scanner. The machine came to life and started selecting a scenario automatically. Kai smirked as he looked down at his Gunpla. Though it was little better than stock at the moment, he was very proud of the effort he had put in. 

“One versus one, field: asteroid.”

Kai stiffened when he heard the computer say “one versus one.” He looked up in time to see the cheery Ms. Okazaki placing her gunpla on the opposing scanner. “Ready when you are!” She said with an innocent grin. Kai looked at his teacher wearily but grabbed the controls. “Kai, launching.” He said stoically. 

The High Maneuverability GINN soon materialized into the rock debris space field. Kai quickly had to maneuver his avatar to dodge the obstacles in its way. This was the first sortie he was doing with the GINN and he was glad to be getting a good feel for the rather sensitive controls. With expert ease he soon found the sweet spot for the responsiveness. He was just about to look for his opponent when the enemy gundam appeared in front of his GINN.

Hissing a curse he whipped the GINN around to try and get a bead on his teacher. In an eerie display they both leveled their weapons at the same time, the movement making Kai realize that he had to dodge since his weapon was no where near the beam cannon’s caliber. The Gundam would disappear behind an asteroid. Every time the pair would reappear it was as if they could read each other’s movements; leveling their rifles but never shooting. Kai got frustrated by the action and finally began to shoot. Not once did she fire back, and easily she would evade the damage. It quickly became evident that she was toying with Kai, a notion he didn’t appreciate. 

In a short amount of time he soon found his gun out of bullets. Gripping the rifle with both hands he moved to slash with the bayonet. Just as he was about to get in range Caliburn leveled it’s beam cannon to take a shot. Kai expected as much and managed to evade the shot, he even continued to close the distance. He quickly closed the distance and was in striking range when the Gundam produced a beam saber and slashed at him. The movement startled him and the saber quickly cleaved the GINN’s left arm. 

“I think that’s enough.” Ms. Okazaki said warmly as he stopped her Gundam from further attacking the damaged GINN. Kai seethed angrily as he looked at the damage, stunned that he could be bested so easily. He took a few steadying breaths as the battlefield powered down and the damaged GINN settled on the blank field. Slowly and uneasily he walked over to study the damage to his gunpla. It was only then that he remembered that he even had an audience, blinking back his disbelief he looked at his teammates. 

Words tried to form in his mouth but he just couldn’t find them. Ms. Okazaki walked up and grabbed the GINN to present it to Fabio and Makato. “As you can see, all the damage Kai incurred in the battle is translated to the actual model kit.” She offered it to the other two to pick up and inspect the model if they wanted. “Kai did a great job building this kit and it performed better than the same kit if it were merely snapped together. The more effort you put into the kit the better it performs. Alternatively, the more damage you get the longer it will take you to repair on a kit that’s heavily customized.” She smiled politely to Kai. 

Despite the loss, Kai didn’t feel his anger simmering for too long. If anything he found more respect for Ms. Okazaki now. It also made him realized that he had greater heights to obtain. Still he found himself wondering about his teacher, and the eerie familiarity he kept feeling around her. 

Ms. Okazaki’s voice snapped his attention back to the present, “To be a successful Gunpla club we’re going to have to fight sooner or later. I’ll let you guys decide how you want to ease into that role of the club. I know that the local schools are always doing skirmishes and they can be very popular exhibitions. If we want to start doing those just let me know and we can get in the local circuit.” She smiled at all her students and nodded. “Just remember, Gunpla is Freedom!”

Kai cleared his throat, “We could also start going to circuits just to display our gunpla, there’s usually open exhibitions so we could feel out competitions that way too.” 

Ms. Okazaki smirked at Kai’s remark, “I had forgotten about that as well. Good point Kai!”

Kai look from his teacher to his peers to see what they were thinking. 

[FrostyFoster 473]

Actually seeing one of these Gunpla battles in action surprised Makoto. Their movements were much more lifelike than he had anticipated and the battlefield itself taught him the value of understanding your surroundings. Unsurprisingly, their experienced teacher had won the battle, displaying the damaged Jee Eye En En to him and Fabio.

”Would I really wish for the Nadleeh to be scarred?” Makoto wondered, but thankfully they had been given two options. “The latter choice sounds fine.” He stated about Kai’s display exhibition. “As you said, we’ll likely be able to catch a glimpse of our competition’s kits.” While Makoto did feel this could give them some sort of advantage, perhaps he was attempting to delay the inevitable.

Nadleeh would have to battle sooner or later.

[Replicator 184]

For the first time, Fabio had stopped to actually watch a Gunpla Battle. Throughout the battle he couldn't stop thinking of the quick reflexes of the pilots. He was puzzled by the fluid movements of the kits, despite the apparent abstractness of the controls: it seemed like a sport with a deceptively high skill ceiling, where more could be done than meets the eye.

It was clear to him that he would have a lot of catching up to do if he wanted to find success in kit building, or kit handling. At the very least he could say he had some experience building... All that remained was to try his hand at battling. "Exhibi-shun? We gotta go!"

[Roromi 435]

A week later….

Kai wondered through the exhibition halls. He would pause and lean in closer at the occasional gunpla, taking mental notes on how certain techniques worked out in practice. Usually with a shrug or a nod he would then proceed to the next pedestal. He was supposed to be meeting his teammates today to scope out their potential competition. 

Healed up, he still opted to wear the oversized glasses to help conceal his identity. It wasn’t all that long ago he had been to one of these as a competitor himself. His thoughts wondered to his past and how it contrasted to his new reality. He was on a team with two newbies. While they showed some promise, he had no idea how well their talents would blossom. Normally a very self centered person, he found himself in a situation where he had to help his teammates, whether he liked it or not. 

Sighing he looked around when he spotted her, or rather it. A Nobel Gundam, somehow made to look even more effeminate. He walked up to the machine in it’s Titan’s color scheme. Familiar yet distinct enough to make it stand out. He didn’t stand too close as he could hear a shrill voice talking near the unit, one he hadn’t heard in a long while. 

“I used a high gloss finish of course. While matte may appear more professional, when you’re as confident as me you want to make the details shine!” 

The tone was matter of fact, bold, and indeed confident. “Rei…” he muttered under his breath. The girl was a known player, often more freelance and interested in building than fighting. She paraded around her gundam, “Hera Gundam” she was loudly proclaiming. The girl herself was loud in appearance. Short skirt, white blouse and black hair that was hardly that color the longer it got, cascading in a rainbow of metallic colors, as if she was somehow turning into gunpla herself. Even the color of her skirt shimmered in a glossy material that Kai couldn’t possibly guess. Her make up was impeccable and while he found her abrasive at times, he had to admit she was attractive. Clearly the girl knew a thing or two about appearances. 

He contemplated simply walking away when he caught sight of another prominent builder. “Saito….” He gasped under his breath. Indeed the Shadow of Shibuya was there near the window in the shadow of a glass frame. The boy was lanky, but small in stature. He wore a hoodie and kept it pulled over his head, further shadowing his details. 

Though Kai stiffened when he say the suspicious kid, he did his best to keep moving past. Saito had made a name for himself with a very well made Deathscythe Hell Custom. True to his own nature, he was very skilled at stealth play. Kai walked past the kid, wondering why he would be hanging around Rei. 

He chanced a glance back but froze his gaze half back when he spotted Makato across the hall, with Rei between them both. From what he had gathered about the Dandy, he had to wonder how the boy would react to Rei’s showcase. He cursed as he tried to intercept the boy before Rei lured him in. 

[FrostyFoster 473]

After a quick stop at the nearby convenience store, Makoto eventually made it inside of the exhibition hall with both Nadleeh and a fruit smoothie in tow. The teen saw an array of different Gunpla, each with their own unique shapes and sizes. “Some have tank treads, some have claws and what’s up with all the chibi ones?” He muttered, catching a glance at a red Gundam.

“Oh, you like my Gunpla?” The woman next to it asked. “This is the ZGMF-XA1S Armory Gundam! This high grade combines all five of the Second Stage Series mobile suits featured in Seed Destiny! I called it the Armory because that’s where the mobile suits were first featured! Armory One! Well, technically the Saviour Gundam wasn’t there, as its development had fallen behind. Pretty cool, huh?”

Makoto blinked.

”I have no idea what any of that meant.”

Seeing a mobile suit he was actually interested in, he quickly pivoted in that direction. “Does… Does that mobile suit have… hair? Real looking BEAUTIFUL HAIR?!” Makoto couldn’t take his eyes off the Nobel custom. Unfortunately, he completely missed Kai as Rei baited him.

 

[Replicator 184]

Fabio walked around the exhibition hall with his usual gait, hands on his pockets, sunglasses indoors, and his black leather jacket over a garish two-tone shirt. He tried to find his classmates for all of two seconds, before the beautiful kits in display distracted him. A sleek reddish-brown unit with stylish white stripes soon caught his eye. From a High Grade box, it struck a pose that spoke deeply to him. He couldn't stay away from the build, with its beautiful curves, glossy finish and the sass of an Italian coupe.

"Hey, man. Is this Pee-Ban? I ain't seen it in any catalogs." he asked the man standing next to it, who let out a chuckle. "I'm glad to hear it's fooled you, means I've done a good job. I design these boxes for everyone's builds. Look here." The man in a ridiculous green uniform opened the box to reveal its interior, lined with foam inserts. There were a few holes in the foam, professionally cut out for the Zathene and its accessories. Sadly, the build was not inside. "Completely custom. My boxes have the weight and beautiful art of the originals, but they're safe like those steel cases you see pro fighters use all the time."

Disappointed, Fabio took a step aside and kept walking. Wandering through the hall, he stumbled upon a small cardboard sign. "Poverty-Chan's More with Less: How to Make Beautiful Kits With Less Effort And Yen". Intrigued, he looked over to a small stage and a couple dozen chairs looking in its direction. "Now this is more my style..."

He sat on one of the chairs as a girl spoke to the atendees, wearing a traffic cone on her head with a pointy cyclops face painted on it. She held a knight-looking cyclops kit that bore a striking resemblance to her hat. "... you know those beautiful stripes Real Grades come with? When applied, they add a lot of detail, even to a straight build. But we don't have money for RGs! How could our lowly High Grades have stripes like these, too?"

Fabio and the rest of the audience looked in awe as Poverty-Chan revealed before them the solution to life's myriad problems...

[Roromi 435]

Kai sucked in his breath when he saw the mischievous smile on Rei. “Oh! You like my hair?” She said with a Cheshire smile and an almost wicked grin. She sauntered over to Makato. “It’s about time someone noticed the truly painstaking effort I’ve taken to make my Gundam utterly perfect!” She held a hand up to her forehead in mock exaggeration; though Kai had to wonder just much of the expression was. 

“Tell me!” She practically exclaimed to Makato, “just how much to you love my Hera Gundam?” She asked in a pouting tone. She reached out to trace a finger along Makato’s shoulder as if silently warning him to not touch her esteemed toy. Her smug expression showed volumes. Kai stood by horrified, part of him wanted to jump in and save Makato while the other half of him wanted to melt away in the crowd and walk way. He opted for a middle ground, slowly walking closer to his classmate. In the excitement, Kai lost track of Saito.

———-

“She barely knows what she’s talking about you know…” a chill voice almost crept up Fabio’s spine. Saito was the type of kid who would regularly creep on on people, in fact, he relished in the ability to startle others. He stood besides the newbie with his hands in his hoodie and a stern expression on his face gazing up at Poverty-Chan. 

A smug expression illuminated his face as he turned to regard Fabio directly, “If you can’t afford real gunpla you then you shouldn’t bother with this hobby.” His eyes locked onto Fabio as he spoke, his tone further conveying a sense of Get out of where you don’t belong looser..