Re: What if they'd got a different cyborg?

by **Kiskaloo** Mon 26 Apr 2010 - 20:19

MP5 wrote:Give Allison some credit, Kisk. Even she knows to to leave Ferraris well alone. They've been designing since well before she was born as a normal human.

Lamborghini, however, that's a different story... Especially since Jason Heffner stuffed a twin turbo kit in a Murcielago and Gallardo. Though I think even that would be too much car for her.

Michele wouldn't touch a Lamborghini before the Murcielago and Gallardo - he needed that layer of German common sense to cover the madness. Though Allison would certainly benefit from being a cyborg when it came to drive a Diablo or Countach during a Track Day at Vallelunga. Yes Indeed

That being said, if Elio ever does drive up in that '68 Lamborghini Espada, Michele would have nothing but praise for his taste - and specific orders for Allison to not touch it with anything but a buffing cloth. Wink

by **ElfenMagix** Mon 26 Apr 2010 - 22:02

I remember it being said in one of the volumes that depending on how hard their rewrite and conditioning, the cyborgs still retain much of their personality. I use this little diddy-fact when thinking of this thread.

True, Claes still retained her love for reading even after a second write, but how much would the OC Cyborgs remember in terms of their personalities?

Despite Francesca's second rewrite making her forgetful and as Kisk says "as sharp as a bowling ball" Good

, she still retains her lot of her former abilities and personality-knowledge as a 1st gen killer cyborg, and before then as a little girl trying to out do boys in her school.

In that, how would your handlers take Francesca? (Under the premise of finding the lost cyborg and having her assigned to them as a second cyborg and all the other issues Fernando face happening to them.) Then again would your OC cyborgs take to having to share their handlers with her? Evil

by **Kiskaloo** Mon 26 Apr 2010 - 22:40

I really wish I'd been able to better explore the jealousy that Kara undoubtedly would have felt having Claes join the fratello, but I tended to focus on Claes herself and kind of pushed Kara to the side. On the flip side, Claes made it perfectly clear - in both deed and word - that she had no romantic interest whatsoever in Michele. Kara would have been skeptical at first, but over time she would have seen with her own eyes that Claes was not any real threat for Michele's affections, though she ramped up her own game, just to be safe.

Of course, Michele and Claes did keep certain things between them "in the interests of supporting inter-cyborg harmony". Wink

As for Francessca, honestly Michele couldn't deal with her if she was naturally that ditzy. It would drive him crazy very quickly and he'd probably consider her unusable and ship her back to the Technology Department.

by Alfisti Mon 26 Apr 2010 - 23:10

ElfenMagix wrote:I remember it being said in one of the volumes that depending on how hard their rewrite and conditioning, the cyborgs still retain much of their personality. I use this little diddy-fact when thinking of this thread.

True, Claes still retained her love for reading even after a second write, but how much would the OC Cyborgs remember in terms of their personalities?

Despite Francesca's second rewrite making her forgetful and as Kisk says "as sharp as a bowling ball" , she still retains her lot of her former abilities and personality-knowledge as a 1st gen killer cyborg, and before then as a little girl trying to out do boys in her school.

In that, how would your handlers take Francesca? (Under the premise of finding the lost cyborg and having her assigned to them as a second cyborg and all the other issues Fernando face happening to them.) Then again would your OC cyborgs take to having to share their handlers with her?

I guess in some ways I still see the conditioning process as a bit experimental, with results varying form girl to girl (just 'cause of basic things like variations in physiology, different reactions to the drug etc). I know Robert wrote Agapita as having a completely different personality after conditioning, but Claes retained her basic personality after a fairly major re-write. Monty I imagine would retain a lot of who she is, particularly the stubborn, serious, hard working side. That said, I think it doesn't matter how strong a personality is: condition a cyborg hard enough and it's going to go away or at least be repressed (a-la Bea, Kisk's Noel and the Voodoo's Bombsquad girls).

As to Fran... Jethro would not be happy taking on a second cyborg, any cyborg. Monty's pretty low maintinence as far as cyborgs are concerned (and I think he's resonably aware that he lucked out in that department). As Kisk said, if Fran's naturally that ditzy she'd drive Jethro up the wall. Besides, he'd need a bigger car What if they'd got a different cyborg? - Page 2 Icon_razz

Monty... umm... Monty wouldn't take well to having to share her handler on a permanent basis. She wouldn't say as much, Monty's professional enough to keep things running, but there'd be a sub-surface seething resentment. I doubt she'd totally fly off the handle (Monty's very self controlled and doesn't like people seeing her loose it) but there'd always be a coldness there, even more so than she usually shows to the other cyborgs, maybe the odd snarky comment. Given that situation, Jethro's also professional enough to try and make it work, but the whole thing would wear on him greatly and, when it came right down to it he'd side with Monty.

by **ElfenMagix** Mon 26 Apr 2010 - 23:38

If played right, Francesca can be a very interesting character. Like Melody from Josie and the Pussycats...

But I see you points... ROTFL

Lets see what others have to say.

by **Kiskaloo** Tue 27 Apr 2010 - 0:02

I was more a fan of Josie James - doubly so when they went into Outer Space.

by Professor Voodoo Tue 27 Apr 2010 - 11:14

Kiskaloo wrote:
Elio: Does no handler out there have the courage to take on Marisa? Even just over the weekend? Please?

Kara: "Come on, Michele! She's full of life and energy. It could be really fun!"

If anyone would actually want to work with Marisa, it would be Kara. I fear the younger cyborg would be the "bad influence" in that relationship.
The biggest difference between the two is that Kara is a material-girl, while Marisa is an experience-seeker. I'm not accusing Kara of being materially obsessed, but she does enjoy her indulgences...while Marisa wouldn't care if her clothes were bought at Wal-Mart. Mari has a list of achievements, and she wears that like a badge of honor.

A good analogy; Kara would eagerly bring Marisa to Harrods of London for a day of high-end shopping...Mari would be more interesting in rappelling off the roof.

Kiskaloo wrote:
Professor Voodoo wrote:I am putting together an episode (hopefully #15) where another handler is responsible for Mari while Elio is called away on a mysterious "no cyborgs" mission. Who draws the unlucky short straw? It's gonna be Hillshire. He's smug enough to think he can handle anything...and Marisa wants to experience what makes Triela the top cyborg in the agency. They're both in for a rude awakening.

I can sense that's going to be epic...

Uh-ho...pressure. I will reveal that there will be a few (humorous) surprises about Elio's past. Also, the reason Alboreto can never set foot in the United States will be revealed.

Kiskaloo wrote: if Elio ever does drive up in that '68 Lamborghini Espada, Michele would have nothing but praise for his taste - and specific orders for Allison to not touch it with anything but a buffing cloth.

If the Espada ever does show up it will be as part of a "road trip" collaborative story like the one you're currently doing in the US.

ElfenMagix wrote:In that, how would your handlers take Francesca?

Elio gets paid well enough to put up with any situation he's dealt...he's already got a very difficult cyborg after all. With Francesca he'd have to get used to being very clear and precise with his instructions...and occasionally give her a bit of mindless busy-work to keep her occupied.
The most difficult time for him would be leaving her on the boat while he & Mari go underwater for a mission. Even on deck there are dozens of ways to get injured or killed, and worrying about Francesca doing any of those things would be a distraction for Alboreto.

To me, the funniest thing about Francesca is the dynamic she has with Rachel. You'd assume she'd get pushed around by her younger, quicker thinking "sister" but Francesca holds her own admirably.

by Alfisti Tue 27 Apr 2010 - 11:46

Professor Voodoo wrote:Mari has a list of achievements, and she wears that like a badge of honor.

A good analogy; Kara would eagerly bring Marisa to Harrods of London for a day of high-end shopping...Mari would be more interesting in rappelling off the roof.

As evidenced by the "lifetime things to do" book and the trophies she keeps (or at lest tries) picking up...

...which makes Mari the polar opposite of Monty (again) who doesn't really talk about her achievements. However she may be prone to leaving the odd mission report lying around where people could skim it, if it's a particularly good (and de-classified) one. Entirely by accident of course and only for a few minutes. What if they'd got a different cyborg? - Page 2 Icon_razz

Professor Voodoo wrote:
ElfenMagix wrote:In that, how would your handlers take Francesca?
Elio gets paid well enough to put up with any situation he's dealt...he's already got a very difficult cyborg after all. With Francesca he'd have to get used to being very clear and precise with his instructions...and occasionally give her a bit of mindless busy-work to keep her occupied.

While Elio may be able to handle her well enough... how about Mari. Previous evidence suggests she wouldn't be too chuffed about having to share her handler with an attractive older woman.

by **Kiskaloo** Tue 27 Apr 2010 - 12:47

Professor Voodoo wrote:If anyone would actually want to work with Marisa, it would be Kara. I fear the younger cyborg would be the "bad influence" in that relationship.

The biggest difference between the two is that Kara is a material-girl, while Marisa is an experience-seeker. I'm not accusing Kara of being materially obsessed, but she does enjoy her indulgences...while Marisa wouldn't care if her clothes were bought at Wal-Mart. Mari has a list of achievements, and she wears that like a badge of honor.

A good analogy; Kara would eagerly bring Marisa to Harrods of London for a day of high-end shopping...Mari would be more interesting in rappelling off the roof.

Kara does enjoy trying new things, but she does lack Marisa's level of fearlessness. Her interests in new things also tend to parallel Michele - he likes to race cars, so she enrolled in driving schools. He's a private pilot, so she earned her license, as well. He's a soccer fan, so she learned the game. She would not schedule her life experiences around Michele, but she feels it important to share his interests so she can share his experiences and time.

But if she had not already been an astronomy fan prior to her conversion, she definitely would have accepted any chance she could to stargaze with Henrietta and the other girls and pestered Michele for a telescope and other tools. On the other hand, she likely would not have sought out Monty on a regular basis to learn to fill out and file reports. Wink

by Professor Voodoo Tue 27 Apr 2010 - 13:12

Kiskaloo wrote:
Kara does enjoy trying new things, but she does lack Marisa's level of fearlessness.

Bianchi: Mind if I field this one?

Voodoo: Go right ahead.

Bianchi: Marisa's "fearlessness" is a direct result of her insecurities. Since she carries a lot of self-doubt, as a result of her problematic conditioning and chaotic mind (i.e. anxiety attacks), she constantly pushes to prove (mostly to herself) that she is afraid of nothing. If she could tolerate a full dose of conditiong drug cocktail she would be more relaxed about that sort of thing.

Voodoo: Yep...that about sums it up. Besides, she's 11. Most 11 year olds I've met are naturally crazy & reckless. I certainly was.

Alfisti wrote:While Elio may be able to handle (Francesca) well enough... how about Mari. Previous evidence suggests she wouldn't be too chuffed about having to share her handler with an attractive older woman.

Since there is no sexual/romantic aspect to her relationship with Elio, you're probably right. She would fight for her fair share of attention though...and Elio would be caught in the middle with two demanding cyborgs.

As far as getting along personally, Mari would do to Francesca what she does to every other 'borg; constantly challenge her position in the pecking order. She sees it as friendly rivalry, but to the others it can become a bit tiring.

by **ElfenMagix** Tue 27 Apr 2010 - 21:20

Professor Voodoo wrote:
ElfenMagix wrote:In that, how would your handlers take Francesca?
Elio gets paid well enough to put up with any situation he's dealt...he's already got a very difficult cyborg after all. With Francesca he'd have to get used to being very clear and precise with his instructions...and occasionally give her a bit of mindless busy-work to keep her occupied.
The most difficult time for him would be leaving her on the boat while he & Mari go underwater for a mission. Even on deck there are dozens of ways to get injured or killed, and worrying about Francesca doing any of those things would be a distraction for Alboreto.

To me, the funniest thing about Francesca is the dynamic she has with Rachel. You'd assume she'd get pushed around by her younger, quicker thinking "sister" but Francesca holds her own admirably.

Alboerto would not have to worry about such things. Once Francesca is trained to do A B & C, she'll follow it through to X Y & Z. Explaining why things are might be difficult- she's no rocket scientist since that second rewrite wiped out some of her decision making capabilities. Which is why she cant get dressed without help- she'll just stare at the closet full of clothes and enjoy looking at the pretty colors. Putting on underwear daily has been figured out, putting on a robe before going outside of the dorms- programmed in by Fernando's constant patience. (too many cyborgs strut out in their underwear or less. For a kid that might be cute, and a teen- testing her freedom, but an adult like Francesca... Oh boy!) Everything else flows with her modesty and morality programming. She can put on her own clothes, she just cant choose what to wear. She's fine on missions... just dont ask her to go to the store and buy an Avocado and she finds both the Floridian and Mexican varieties. She'll just blow a head gasket. Worse, she's cry looking at them. Best, she'll bring home both. In short, she can do complex jobs like on missions especially if she is properly trained to do them, but a simple matter of Ravioli vs Lasagna, she'll BSOD on you. For Alboerto- "See this dial on this panel? When the needle enters the red zone- press that red button. And if anyone tried to get on the boat that is not wearing a uniform you recognize- shoot to kill" and she'll be just fine.

Rachel and Francesca love Fernando for different reasons. But they know that Fernando wont let himself be shared, and will return their affection in due time. Rachel yelling out, "YOU LOVE ME DADDY?!!" while Fernando is disarming a suitcase nuke will end up with her thrown over his lap, skirt raised above the waist and her getting the spanking she wont forget! (Nevermind that the countdown counter is still ticking- Rachel Deserved It!) Francesca knows when on missions she has to do her best and avoid being a distraction. In UN Resolution, she was nearly blown away by a 10 gauge slug, and she went into "I failed my handler" mode, which she is recovering from. For him proving that she did not fail is paramount, because she did not fail, just that the bastard got lucky. But had she succeeded, there would have been 6 more notches on her gun handle. Evil

Rachel does not like that fact that Francesca is "Mission Married" to Fernando. In fact she hates it, only because if Fernando is her daddy, that would make Francesca her 'step mommy.' What child dont like their step parent?

by **Kiskaloo** Tue 27 Apr 2010 - 21:55

Kiskaloo wrote:If Michele was...re-tasked...with another OC cyborg (for whatever reasons), I could see a handful he could adapt to being a handler for.

Monty - A solid match because she'd pretty much set him straight on their relationship very early on. To wit - "You are 'El Colonello' and I am your Aide de Camp. Capiche? Good. Now call Ferro and tell her to release that damn Intel dossier I need to complete my mission briefing."

The only bad thing - and how bad is it, really? - about having Monty as a cyborg is that, with her fashion style, Michele would only really be able to drive his 1966 Ferrari 275 GTS, 1968 Ferrari 330 GTC and 1972 Ferrari 365 GTS/4.

by Alfisti Tue 27 Apr 2010 - 22:42

Professor Voodoo wrote:Voodoo: Yep...that about sums it up. Besides, she's 11. Most 11 year olds I've met are naturally crazy & reckless. I certainly was.

Climbing trees, building forts up trees, pegging pine-cones from said trees at your mate's younger sister... ahh, thems were the days.

Kiskaloo wrote:The only bad thing - and how
bad is it, really? - about having Monty as a cyborg is that, with her
fashion style, Michele would only really be able to drive his 1966
Ferrari 275 GTS, 1968 Ferrari 330 GTC and 1972 Ferrari 365 GTS/4.

I'm sure Michele would survive. Besides, old cars are better off being run regular like, otherwise all the rubbers go hard. What if they'd got a different cyborg? - Page 2 Icon_razz

by Professor Voodoo Tue 27 Apr 2010 - 23:51

ElfenMagix wrote: For Alboerto- "See this dial on this panel? When the needle enters the red zone- press that red button. And if anyone tried to get on the boat that is not wearing a uniform you recognize- shoot to kill" and she'll be just fine.

Unfortunately, things are not so straightforward on boats...Elfen you worked with NYC Water Rescue, at one time, am I correct? If Francesca has trouble making decisions I'd hate to see what a change in wind or current would to to her. Perhaps she might be better suited to shore support on those missions. She would be terrific at setting up the gear though...that requires a very didactic process.

Rachel yelling out, "YOU LOVE ME DADDY?!!" while Fernando is disarming a suitcase nuke will end up with her thrown over his lap, skirt raised above the waist and her getting the spanking she wont forget! (Nevermind that the countdown counter is still ticking- Rachel Deserved It!)

Elio: Eh, not to intrude on a family moment here mate, but this bomb is still making a rather bothersome ticking sound. Are you going to be done soon or should I call Amelia?

Marisa: (crouching to look Rachel in the eye) Hey Rachel, betcha I can take it longer than you without hollering!

Elio: (faceplam) Mari, is it neccessary for you to be competitive about everything?

Marisa: I'm not competitive...I just want to beat her.

Elio: Too late, Fernando is already doing that.

Rachel: YOU PEOPLE ARE NOT FUNNY!

Kisk wrote:Michele would only really be able to drive his 1966 Ferrari 275 GTS, 1968 Ferrari 330 GTC and 1972 Ferrari 365 GTS/4.

Oh, what a terrible problem to have. The entire SWA weeps for Million-Dollar Pagani! (sounds better than Million-Euro Pagani, and besides, he made his fortune in the US tech market, right?)

Alfisti wrote:Climbing trees, building forts up trees, pegging pine-cones from said trees at your mate's younger sister... ahh, thems were the days.

Maybe...until your mate's younger sister grows up to be hot and remembers all the evil shit you inflicted on her. D'oh!

I believe my most memorable achievement while 11 was shaving off the left half of my face and breaking an incisor while racing (crashing) bicycles on pavement. The most interesting part was the 2 mile ride home, multiple broken spokes clanking around the rim the whole way.

by **ElfenMagix** Thu 29 Apr 2010 - 20:36

Professor Voodoo wrote:
ElfenMagix wrote: For Alboerto- "See this dial on this panel? When the needle enters the red zone- press that red button. And if anyone tried to get on the boat that is not wearing a uniform you recognize- shoot to kill" and she'll be just fine.
Unfortunately, things are not so straightforward on boats...Elfen you worked with NYC Water Rescue, at one time, am I correct? If Francesca has trouble making decisions I'd hate to see what a change in wind or current would to to her. Perhaps she might be better suited to shore support on those missions. She would be terrific at setting up the gear though...that requires a very didactic process.

The best probable Francesca moment(s) happened in Chapter 9 of UN Resolution... Evil

Professor Voodoo wrote:
ElfenMagix wrote:Rachel yelling out, "YOU LOVE ME DADDY?!!" while Fernando is disarming a suitcase nuke will end up with her thrown over his lap, skirt raised above the waist and her getting the spanking she wont forget! (Nevermind that the countdown counter is still ticking- Rachel Deserved It!)
Elio: Eh, not to intrude on a family moment here mate, but this bomb is still making a rather bothersome ticking sound. Are you going to be done soon or should I call Amelia?

Marisa: (crouching to look Rachel in the eye) Hey Rachel, betcha I can take it longer than you without hollering!

Elio: (faceplam) Mari, is it neccessary for you to be competitive about everything?

Marisa: I'm not competitive...I just want to beat her.

Elio: Too late, Fernando is already doing that.

Rachel: YOU PEOPLE ARE NOT FUNNY!

by Professor Voodoo Fri 30 Apr 2010 - 0:05

ElfenMagix wrote:
The best probable Francesca moment(s) happened in Chapter 9 of UN Resolution...

Francesca: Hold on, I've got you on the cell phone.....I've got company, got to go...

Classic

by **ElfenMagix** Fri 30 Apr 2010 - 21:05

I was thinking of when she breaks away from Fernando in a middle of a shoot/chase scene to go pick up her dry cleaning.

Or not figuring out how to scan frequencies on a wide frequency handheld walkie-tee. But to her defense, the Yaesu VX-series is a complicated piece of radio equipment- over 100 functions on less than 6 buttons.

by Robert Frazer Sun 16 May 2010 - 9:33

I'm coming into this discussion rather late, but just to address the original question of the thread:

It might sound heartless if you're approaching it from the perspective of the cyborg, but Avise would have probably reacted very much the same way to any cyborg - Agapita's own personal nature was not key to Avise's decisions. The fact of being awarded a surrogate daughter, rather than who she is as an individual, is the defining factor for him. Avise may have had difficulty relating to a younger girl - Agapita is about the same age as his real daughter Edvige is, so enhancing the versimilitude; an adolescent would have been too dislocated and unreal - but any teenage second-generation girl would have been handled in pretty much the same way.

by Professor Voodoo Sun 16 May 2010 - 9:45

Robert Frazer wrote: any teenage second-generation girl would have been handled in pretty much the same way.

Is Avise aware of the potentially touchy situation regarding Agapita's former identity...particularly as it relates to Triela?

by Robert Frazer Sun 16 May 2010 - 10:01

He would be, yes - he's fully aware of the pre-conversion Mimi (going back to the last chapter of "Long Weekend", Section One gave him a big thick dossier on Maria Machiavelli before he formally signed off on her and changed from prospect to handler; he also arranged for Agapita to say goodbye to her father at the end of "See Naples and Die"). As for how he approaches the issue: Avise isn't going to actively force Agapita and Triela together - no sense in kicking up a hornet's nest when you don't need to, and as Agapita has been mind-wiped she probably wouldn't be able to relate well to Triela anyway, with the consequent risk of only increasing the distance between the two. However, nor is he making any especial provision to separare Triela and Agapita either, and the normal programme of training and schooling is followed with the two meeting each other over the course of the day in the standard discharge of their duties. Regardless of the Princess's sensitivites the fact is that it's happened, and it's not going to go away no matter how delicately they skirt the issue. She and Agapita have to work together if nothing else.

Avise's stance then is that of the watchful third party - not taking a direct part in the girls' relationship but carefully observing so that he can intervene if need be. No profit will come from chaining one to the other and compelling them to have it out under duress, but through regular mundane contact the opportunity is there for Triela to mellow and open up to her former friend on her own time.

by Alfisti Sun 16 May 2010 - 10:18

I assume Triela then is under resonably strict directives not to talk to Agapita of her former identity?

Robert Frazer wrote:It might sound heartless if you're approaching it from the perspective
of the cyborg, but Avise would have probably reacted very much the same
way to any cyborg

I'm not sure if I'd consider that "heartless". I mean, Avise is obviously very keen to take on his role as a handler and concerned that the do a good job of it, both from the perspective of the SWA and of the cyborg herself. To be a good "father" so to speak. In that respect, the willingness to show unconditional, is "love" the right word, toward his charge makes his position, to me at least, more heartfelt than others. Avise was looking for a daughter, as opposed to say, Jethro who went in expecting a subordinate (I've actually got a short, no more than four pages, script of J&M's first meeting on my HDD).

I guess in short, to my way of viewing, just because any cyborg would have been special to Avise doesn't make the one he eventually got any less so.

Umm, I should probably stop making bold statements about other people's characters.

by Robert Frazer Sun 16 May 2010 - 10:41

I guess in short, to my way of viewing, just because any cyborg would have been special to Avise doesn't make the one he eventually got any less so.

Oh, I'd agree entirely, that's my own perspective on the matter as well - it's just that we know cyborgs can be jealous, so we can't be sure how they'd respond to the idea that someone else could be "just as special".

by **ElfenMagix** Sat 22 May 2010 - 9:27

Robert Frazer wrote:
I guess in short, to my way of viewing, just because any cyborg would have been special to Avise doesn't make the one he eventually got any less so.

Oh, I'd agree entirely, that's my own perspective on the matter as well - it's just that we know cyborgs can be jealous, so we can't be sure how they'd respond to the idea that someone else could be "just as special".

This would only apply IF the other handler they got was their first handler.
Example- If Jean got Henrietta and not Rico first. This would be very different there!

I dont see cyborgs getting jealous if they were given another handler on either a temporary or permanent basis. The bonding process would not be as great as with the first handler. In fact, I see it as the other handler needing to use an agency directive to use the other cyborg without needing the cyborg to be rewritten. They can only invoke fear into them with threats of rewriting them.

by **Kiskaloo** Sat 22 May 2010 - 11:12

Claes followed Michele's orders out of a mix of respect for him (earned over time) and a fear that if she didn't, Jean Croce would have her re-written so she would.

by tremec6speed Wed 26 Jan 2011 - 22:19

Even though I initially viewed my OCs as not much more than a plot device for a previous Lauro/Elsa fanfic story, I gotta admit that's interesting to think about. However since I imagine my cyborg as being the daughter of one of the OC agents, with the fates of all 3 OCs interwoven, then changing that pretty much put me back to square one.
In that case, me thinks I'd rather just start new OCs with their own tale to tell.

study

by **ElfenMagix** Thu 27 Jan 2011 - 0:12

In thinking about Rachel, any other handler would have killed her literally.
No one found the septic infection in her intestines until Fernando pointed it out in the X-ray, rubbing Dr. Bianchi's nose in said X-ray. Before then, she was exhibiting signs of being a sick cyborg, constantly throwing up, something she never did before.

Another handler would have continued to push Rachel until she would have passed out from Septic Shock and die on the way to the medical ward. Until then, she would have tried her best for him until that day.

by Storm Thu 27 Jan 2011 - 0:57

Alfred's whole personality to his girl is overprotectiveness daddy-like. Treats her like the spoiled rotten brat she is deep down. If he had a girl like Henrietta or Angelica he'd probably go insane from lack of insanity. Henrietta is calm but very emotional she seems to hide her emotions until she breaks down from the smallest thing. Alfred would be unable to handle that.

If he got someone like Elsa he would most likely treat her well but make it very clear his intentions are that of a caring father and not a lover.

If Rodrigo had a different girl instead of Aileen he wouldn't be the same. He would of course hate Jean still but it would be for different reasons. If he had someone like Henrietta he would likely spoil her but make sure she knew she was a survivior pretty much trashing her initial conditioning.

If Aileen had a different handler she would likely not remember her past anymore and that would virtually destroy her being who she is.

May is a girl who adapts quickly. She however is almost as hyperactive as Marisa.

by Professor Voodoo Thu 27 Jan 2011 - 1:22

ElfenMagix wrote:Another handler would have continued to push Rachel until she would have passed out from Septic Shock and die on the way to the medical ward. Until then, she would have tried her best for him until that day.

That brings up an interesting set of possibilities.

Had Rachel (or any cyborg with such an infection) been assigned to a different handler she would have had a better chance with a handler like Jean than one who becomes more attached. Faced with a sick trainee, a handler like Giuseppe (for example) would sympathetically cut back her training schedule or even take it upon himself to nurse her back to health. In doing so he might miss the fact that she has a genuine problem.

Jean on the other hand looks at things more objectively. If either of his cyborgs (in canon he is the only handler to oversee two cyborgs; Rico and post-Raballo Claes) were sick he'd consider all possibilities in a detached manner...and thereby have a better chance at detecting a serious medical issue.

Storm wrote:May is a girl who adapts quickly. She however is almost as hyperactive as Marisa.

Lorenzo: Oh god...now there's two of them.

Marisa: Actually, that's a huge relief to me. Now if an upside-down bulldozer winds up inside the dining hall I won't be the automatic #1 suspect!

by Officer_Charon Thu 27 Jan 2011 - 2:01

Professor Voodoo wrote:Marisa: Actually, that's a huge relief to me. Now if an upside-down bulldozer winds up inside the dining hall I won't be the automatic #1 suspect!

John: *whistling innocently, hides his keys and holds out his palm*
Amadeo: *Disgustedly hands over a stack of bills* So, you won the pool, and managed to avoid detection at the same time.
Giorgio: The trick is going to be getting it OFF property without being spotted, now.
John: *puts on shades* Deal with it.

by Schaschanist Thu 27 Jan 2011 - 14:12

What if they'd got another Cyborg?

Hmm, Etienne wouldn't have the same feelings for another cyborg than for Emilie.

He takes care of Emi like a father cause he knows her since she was a baby.

If Emilie had passed away and he got another cyborg as replacement, their relationship never will be the same.
He wont have personal feelings for this new cyborg.

If Etienne would have been killed on a mission i think Emilie may would kill herself.
But if she had been reconditioned to live with a new handler, ... well, i can't imagine what would happen then.

by Storm Thu 27 Jan 2011 - 17:31

[quote="Storm"]May is a girl who adapts quickly. She however is almost as hyperactive as Marisa.[/quote]
[b]Lorenzo:[/b] Oh god...now there's two of them.

[b]Marisa:[/b] Actually, that's a huge relief to me. Now if an upside-down bulldozer winds up inside the dining hall I won't be the automatic #1 suspect![/quote]

May: There's not supposed to be an upside down bulldozer in the dining hall? My bad. Embarassed

Alfred: *facepalm*

by tremec6speed Thu 21 Jul 2011 - 1:26

Salvatore Battaglia can be summed up as a bitter, little man.
Intelligent and capable, his inability to conquer his inner demons have non the less made him a man at war with the world.
Consequently he'd make life hell for any mechanical partner unfortunate enough to be paired up with him.
Gunther, is exceptionally intelligent in matters scientific and engineering. However, he is emotionally retarded, laced with psychological problems to boot. So in order to survive in the SWA, he rocks the boat as little as possible therefore taking the company line with any cyborg; tools to be used and discarded. Boring answers to an interesting question I admit, but Gun essentially runs on auto pilot.
My other agent Vinson however would do well with most cyborgs as he is a simple yet kind, talented and personable man with that gift of instinctively knowing what to say and how to get along with people.
Helen would do well with most handlers. She is quite capable and is really only shy and timid as a product of Sal's behavior. Set free from his dominion, the child would flourish and her own Vinson-like personality would come out, an asset to anyone. (she's his daughter) Ayden would be an unfortunate pain to anyone as her synthetic brain does not take well to the conditioning drugs and her designed flaw comes to light. Mostly however she is capable and efficient. Bernardo seems like a bubbly chap who might (possibly) be the exception and (maybe) enjoy the challenge.

by MP5 Sat 7 Jan 2012 - 3:24

This has been discussed in chat prior to this post, but I have had some thoughts on the different handler/cyborg idea, especially in regards to my main.

Since like many others, I'm particularly fond of the Jethro and Monty Fratello, and so it's here where I want to explore the possibilities if Brian and Jethro had gotten each other's 'canon' cyborgs:

Jethro+Allison: Right off the bat, it's hard to imagine a J+A fratello having the kind of autonomy that the J+M of 'canon' have. Sure, they'll probably be primarily tasked on overseas missions, but since Allison is no Monty, the fratello dynamic would probably take on a more 'traditional' handler-cyborg relationship of average, relatively amicable professionalism where the end of the day/assignment ultimately takes them back to the compound to receive their next marching orders, with a more considerable reliance on the SWA's intel rather than what Jethro can suss out on his own with his various people.

Allison herself would also change. Petrolhead though she may be, there's simply nowhere near the time or money for that sort of tire-smoking, oppo-lock hooniganism she currently enjoys under Brian. Given that she and Jethro share the same diesel-powered Allroad, I can see her being more of a co-driver, switching places with Jethro when he needs shut-eye and taking the wheel if and when he allows her to, which is something she would have to really earn. If it isn't conditioned out of her, then Allison will still have to contend with her overwhelming fear of big trucks, which with Jethro, would likely have to be solved with the sink-or-swim method of just facing her fear head on (though I don't mean driving into oncoming traffic sweat

) and basing Allison's driving privileges on how she handles herself. In all likelihood, if there has to only be one car Allison will devote her love and attention to, it will be the Allroad that belongs to her handler, regardless of more desirable cars she may encounter on the road--it may be the biggest thing that anchors her and Jethro together, which makes it all the more special.

Paperwork? Obviously. No way Allison can escape from that.

Brian and Monty: And now for something completely different. This relationship takes on a whole new meaning. As many of you know, Brian and Allison are who they are because they consider each other family. Had Brian gotten Monty, he would have certainly tried to adopt her as he did with Allison, but the results would be varied, to say the least. Yes, he has a little sister, but she's not really sociable right off the bat, and is a meticulous sort that Brian isn't really used to, and given that Brian maintains relatively close ties with family, learning to relax and fit in is a challenge she will have to surmount. Still, with the McDonnells, there's always a seat open at the table, and Monty is more than welcome to join in.

(That's all I could think of for now)

by **ElfenMagix** Sat 7 Jan 2012 - 20:32

I think the handlers are being taken out of character here.

As stated in the chat, I asked what about the handler putting his foot down on some of the activities the cyborgs do. With Jethro globe-trotting all over the place, Allison would have no time for cars, other than selecting them to be 'permanently borrowed' from the local airport parking lot. If she had 'papers' Allison would probably drive for Jethro on some areas where Monty cant. Jethro is also a more serious handler in my view than Brian and would force that work ethics on Allison. Alfisti stated with with another cyborg other than Monty, his missions would be more Italian centered than what they are now. Personally, I dont think so. Missions Jethro had took him out of Italy and those same missions would still be dragging him away no matter what cyborg he had. Its the personality and relationship Jethro and his other cyborg would be different though he would pushing her to be like Monty without Monty ever existing for him.

Similarly the same applies to Brian and Allison. The conditioning medications makes the cyborgs fall in love with he handler in some form and varying degrees. The difference here being that Allison is more of a free spirit and Monty is more of a team player, again, in my eyes. The relationship between between Monty and Brian would not be that much different. The issue I see here is that Monty is more of a loner, wanting to get the work done than any other cyborg. With Brian, she would be kooked up in the dorms, with the hi-jinks that goes on inside. What friends she would make in the dorm would be more on a professional level than the friendships Allison has. When work is done and there is nothing to do, she would probably leave the dorms and use the compound as her own parkering playground. She'll probably crash into Rachel who is doing the same thing.

by Alfisti Sat 7 Jan 2012 - 22:00

ElfenMagix wrote:Alfisti stated with with another cyborg other than Monty, his missions would be more Italian centered than what they are now. Personally, I dont think so. Missions Jethro had took him out of Italy and those same missions would still be dragging him away no matter what cyborg he had. Its the personality and relationship Jethro and his other cyborg would be different though he would pushing her to be like Monty without Monty ever existing for him.

What I meant by that wasn't so much that, paired with Allison, Jethro would be operating inside Italy, but more that the fratello's mode of operation would change. Without Monty there to help take the workload of intelligence analysis and gathering, he would be much more reliant on the SWA's own infastructure. Under those circumstances, rather than being able to remain in the field (where things would happen a lot slower if Jethro was doing handling the bulk of data analysis himself) the pattern would more likely be along the lines of: deploy, complete mission, return to Rome, analyse date in consultation with SWA's intelligence division and re-deploy. In many ways it would be a more "James Bond" style scenario with the fratello being deployed by The Agency rather than them following their noses... things like the Monaco heist would probably never have happened, or would have happened very, very differently.

For my own take on it (and I apologise for repeating anything already said), first a bit of background: Jethro never wanted a cyborg. When he was brought onboard by the SWA it was on the understanding he would fill a similar role to that which he did at the SIS. He was then handed Monty and told "this is your cyborg, do not break her, they do not grow on trees."

As a result he ran her pretty hard at the start, essentially pushing her to become the equivalent of an adult partner and, fortunately, Monty has the sort of personality which coped with that and flourished. She proved to be mature, serious and hard working... she proved to be Monty essentially and the relationship burgeoned from there. In some ways, having seen how fast she's become essentially an adult and grown attached to the girl, Jethro slightly regrets (but not much) that early cramming of her into the role.

Now, had Jethro been given Allison, he would have treated her much the same way. However, and meaning no offence to Allison: she isn't Monty. She's (and correct me if I've got the wrong impression) a natural optimist, energetic, friendly, outgoing and hard working... though perhaps with a tendency to allow her ideas to run away with her. While the different environment and "upbringing" would I imagine had some effect toward toning her back a bit, she's still going to be Alisson at the core. What that would mean however is that Jethro would need to take on a "voice of reason" role, rather than what he can do with Monty: which is let Monty be Monty whilst he gets on with being Jethro.

In needing to take a more mature role in the fratello, Jethro and Allison's relationship would be a much more traditional "handler and cyborg" one than what Jethro shares with Monty... on the upside for him however: at least his own personal feelings toward his cyborg would be much less confusing. Razz

Basically for him: "work" would be much more work-like. It would probably be a good thing that he was back in Italy more as he would be looking to the other handlers for support. Moreover, if it didn't work the first time around, I doubt Jethro would feel the same bit of regret at trying to cram Allison into an adult role that he does with Monty.

As to Allison, yes her love of cars would need to be blunted somewhat, and if she couldn't get over her phobia of trucks then it is highly likely she would be banned from driving all together. Whilst on the road at least Jethro just doesn't have time to deal with that sort of thing... once it became evident that the fratello would be spending more time "on campus" at the SWA however, he might make efforts toward correcting that... or getting someone else to. What it might however cause to happen is reignite a bit of his own interest in cars and motorsport. Don't forget: Jethro dabbled in rally, so the Escort may well wind up in Italy.

As to Allison's relationship with Jay, he'd put the kibosh on that... the last thing he needs is a cyborg with her mind litterally half a world away.

Thoughts on Brian paired with Monty when/if I think of them.

ElfenMagix wrote:Monty is more of a team player

I don't know about "team player"... perhaps maybe team "everyone-will-do-what-I-bloody-well-tell-them-to-er".

by tremec6speed Tue 8 May 2012 - 17:48

No one's mentioned Meeshie.... .
Who could be her new mentor/owner? (I hesitate to say 'owner', she sounds like someone that considers herself not owned by anyone)
Helen would love to be her handler, or maybe she'd be Helen's handler!
Meeshie: 'meorw'
Helen: yes ma'am
Meeshie: MEOW!
Helen: yes ma'am right away, sorry!
Henrietta: Wow, she must be training Helen hard
Rachel: Naw, she's just ordering Helen to get her 'Meow Mix' NOW....
'ette: Guh?

Maybe she could be the new class 4 cyborg
What if they'd got a different cyborg? - Page 2 7d20cadd-3957-47a8-9925-b02655ab056f

Perhaps she can have a little cyborg kitty of her own?
What if they'd got a different cyborg? - Page 2 Killerkitty-animal-humor-21788489-508-421

by Il Direttore Tue 18 Jun 2013 - 20:52

Well, on a related note, I've realized recently that James would probably have conditioned the wazoo out of Henrietta or Angelica, worked well enough with Rico or Claes, would have found Triela imminently useful but rather tiring due to her tendency towards frank questioning of his decisions, and scrapped Marisa halfway through training.

This is mostly because I've been working with mainly that cast of characters as of late, but meh. Thread resurrection, complete.

by **Kiskaloo** Tue 25 Jun 2013 - 22:15

So the Muse hit about midnight and I cobbled this short story together:

"Briefing Notes"

The main office area for the handlers of Special Operations Section was laid out in an open floor plan. Rather than cubicles, the area was divided through the use of wood bookshelves and rows of metal filing cabinets. Pairs of desks were arranged facing each other, allowing the two handlers to speak with each other. Scattered amongst the corners and nooks were large tables where one could lay out maps and books.

Into this environment stepped a young girl, carrying a plastic tray with two espresso cups and saucers. In contradiction to the majority of girls of similar age, she presented an image of sophistication dressed in a crisp white long-sleeve cotton blouse sporting a Peter Pan collar (named after the collar of Maude Adam’s costume in her 1905 role), button front and the famous Burberry House Check trim inside the neck and cuffs worn loose over a flared full skirt in the same House Check pattern with stitched-down pleats, a side button waistband and welt pocket detail. The 25mm heels of her Burberry riding boots added to her 160cm height, the black leather polished to a deep shine and the burnished-gold buckles of the straps wrapped around the base of the shaft gleamed in the harsh florescent light.

That height, combined with a body-type somewhere between slender and skinny, made shopping for outfits a bit of a gamble and she therefore tended to wear either bespoke outfits or off-the-rack subsequently tailored for her frame. Fortunately, her handler’s social and economic status made such outfits de rigueur.

While her frame brought issues, her short auburn hair solved many. Constructed of prototype artificial hair shafts that could be used in the medical and cosmetic industries, it required minimal maintenance to retain its original styling.

“Is that the latest financial data from Priscilla?” she asked as she set the tray down and handed one of the cups to the impeccably dressed man seated before an Apple Thunderbolt Display.

“Indeed it is,” Michele Pagani replied. “Thank you,” he added, taking the cup.

“You’re welcome,” Monique Pagani replied, taking a sip from her own cup as she positioned herself to the right and just behind the chair, her brown eyes quickly scanning the rows of numbers.

The Pagani fratello had been together for about six months and were the newest members of Special Operations, Section Two. Michele’s background in the military had been in intelligence and he quickly recognized his cyborg was possessed of a critically sharp mind capable of sifting through enormous amounts of data to identify trends and extricate answers. He therefore nurtured that ability and the two quickly defined their role within the Agency as the team that collected and processed incoming intelligence, which was then used to help prepare missions for the other fratelli.

Unlike those other fratelli, it was rare for the Paganis to find themselves in the field. His oldest friend and school chum Renato Pisano – Prime Minister of Italy - had roped Michele into the job on the cusp of his retirement from the military and putting said friend in harm’s way was viewed by Director Pieri Lorenzo as something that could have very negative repercussions for his Section.

Another reason was that part of the cover for the Social Welfare Agency was that they were developing artificial implants and advanced neurocognitive and neuromotor prostheses to return mobility to amputees and patients suffering from neuromuscular diseases. Therefore, Monique had been fitted with “de-tuned” components closer in specification to those meant for civilian use. Though still capable of Olympian-level performance and easily capable of killing with her hands or feet, she could operate significantly longer between maintenance intervals and needed lower doses of the conditioning medication to regulate them.

“We have that national security meeting at ten,” Monique reminded Michele. “There is construction on the A25 between Avezzano and Aiello-Celano so traffic is heavier than usual,” she added.

“Thanks, S2,” Michele replied, using the NATO continental staff system designation for the person holding the intelligence staff role at the squadron headquarters level as an acknowledgement of her capabilities and competence in her role as his aide-de-camp.

Michele disconnected his Retina MacBook Air and locked it in a drawer. He grabbed his suit jacket from the coat rack located next to the desk while Monty retrieved her Burberry trench coat and Burberry Haymarket Check messenger bag. They walked to the stairs and descended to the main floor and exited the building into the adjacent parking lot, making their way to a Rosso Letto Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4 Spyder. Of Michele’s sizeable garage, Monique liked the Gallardo convertible the best because it offered her excellent visibility and whenever the weather allowed, this was the vehicle they drove. Monique understood that the thin aluminum shell of modern super coupes was even more useless at stopping a bullet then the multi-layered top of the Gallardo and if a trained sniper had their respective numbers, well a closed or open roof really wouldn’t make much of a difference.

After placing her messenger bag and coat in the boot, Monique settled into the soft Bianco Polar leather passenger seat, activating the seat heater. She noticed with satisfaction the absence of any dust lying atop the contrasting Blu Scylla leather that covered the top of the dashboard and instrument binnacle.

“How was tea last night?” Michele asked as he pulled out of the parking area and waited for the security gate to open.

“Not as interminable as I feared,” Monique admitted. “Your chocolate-hazelnut tart was a big hit…especially with Henrietta,” she added.

“Always a benefit to be on her good side,” Michele noted. “And you helped make it so I hope you took at least some of the credit.”

While Monique’s natural intellectual attributes served her very well in her working role, they rather failed her in her social life. It frustrated her that things that were so clear to her were at times so opaque to her peers and she often found herself biting her tongue during briefings when she felt ten too many questions were being asked by them of the data she was presenting.

Michele’s natural gregariousness meant that she could not wall herself away in her room and focus on her work, but she did not actively seek out the company of her fellow cyborgs and tended to only socialize with them when ordered to by her handler – as was the case with the “all hands tea party” overseen by Triela the previous evening to take advantage of a rare conjunction of all the occupants of the Cyborg Warehouse. Due to the size, it had to be held in the main dining room as opposed to the normal venue of the room Triela and Claes shared.

Monique acknowledged the professionalism of Triela and Rico, though the latter’s naturally chirpy personality tended to grate on her after time. She would even admit to mild admiration at the pragmatism expressed by Claes. Of them all, she held Elsa di Sica in the highest esteem for she was a cyborg who dedicated herself one hundred and ten percent to the mission and her handler to the exclusion of everything else.

They soon approached the construction zone and traffic slowed to a more sedate pace as it wound through the kilometers of orange cones and yellow construction vehicles. They joined the Autostrada dei Parchi and soon enough they exited out from under the Pittaluga Tunnel and the Eternal City came into view. They exited into the chaos that passed for traffic flow as they wound their way towards the third Rioni at the center of the municipality.

“One of these days I’m going to hand over the driving duties to you,” Michele threatened as he pulled off the Via dell’ Impressa and through the colonnades into the central courtyard of the residence and office of the Prime Minister of Italy.

“Uh, huh,” Monique replied, verbally calling his bluff once again as she knew she could always play her two trump cards: the first of which was her being 14 and the driving age in Italy was 20; and second, while she had learned the basics along the back roads of the SWA compound in his Aston Martin DB9, her clear lack of interest at improving her aptitude insured she would always be in “the right seat” on their trips.

After parking the car they entered the Palazzo Chigi and, after Monique surrendered her Beretta Nano at the security checkpoint, were escorted to the second floor, though the Salon of Gold and into the Marine Hall. The official dining room of the palace, Prime Minister Renato preferred using it for his breakfast meetings instead of the larger and more formal Hall of the Maritime Republics.

Already present were Minister of Defense Monica Maria Petris and her Vice Minister, Piero Gerini; Foreign Minister Enrico Pantano; and Minister of the Interior Stefania Tremonte. Moments after Michele and Monique entered the room, the Chief of the Defense Forces and head of the Agenzia Informazioni e Sicurezza Esterna arrived. Last to enter was Prime Minister Renato, accompanied by Chief of Staff Angelina Brunetta and National Security Advisor Catherine Aragon.

“Take a seat everyone,” Renato instructed. Monique joined the junior staffers along the wall, taking a seat behind Michele. Waiters brought out plates of food and after initial pleasantries and PR photography, the plates were cleared away and the briefing began.

by Il Direttore Tue 25 Jun 2013 - 23:16

Damn. You just went "blah" and made a thing. Damn.

I have to say though, Monty (or should I say, Monique) feels very... subdued. I'm not sure how much of that is Michele's influence and how much of that is lack of build up via characterization in previous chapters, but there it is.

by **Kiskaloo** Tue 25 Jun 2013 - 23:47

El Conservatore wrote:Damn. You just went "blah" and made a thing. Damn.

I have to say though, Monty (or should I say, Monique) feels very... subdued. I'm not sure how much of that is Michele's influence and how much of that is lack of build up via characterization in previous chapters, but there it is.

What I wrote came really quick and really naturally. When the Muse is "on" I tend to churn out content. Especially as she's been "off" for so long.

I admit that the story would benefit from additional length to better flesh out her role (both with Michele and within the Agency), but I kind of hit a "natural end" and was worried I'd have to "force it". I also wanted more a "slice of life" type short story format giving a general idea of what they might be like together. To write a full story would be more a "re-imaging" of someone else's fratello / sorello and I admit to not being comfortable going down that road.

As to Monty being subdued compared to how Alfisti writes her, that was intentional on my part. I feel that Monty is a "jaded, cynical, grumpy, antisocial, hypocritical, judgmental, impatient workaholic with a superiority complex" more because of her own nature than because of influence (subtle or gross) by Jethro or her early "sink or swim" days as a fratello. As such, I wanted to ensure that underlying personality was still there, just not as sharp or acerbic. Part of that is due to Michele's influence and part of it is because she has "only" been active for six months, so she probably has not spent sufficient time around the other cyborgs to reach maximum annoyance. Check back in another six months. Razz

by Il Direttore Wed 26 Jun 2013 - 0:40

All fair points, and I'd reiterate that it's a startling good job for about 800 words with no build up. The characterization is quite nice, and your judgment of the scale is, now that I've seen it, quite well done. Once again, I applaud you sir.

by Alfisti Wed 26 Jun 2013 - 4:40

Nicely done Kisk... I think you've done a good job of Pagani-ising Monique for this one, and I like the little details: like that things are measured in metric rather than the British Imperial I use for her with Jethro, and the explanations for her retaining similar role and function (intelligence and her detuning). Moreover you can see Michele's touches there as well: the Walther replaced with something newer and with more punch, at least some ability to drive and that her fashion is more modern and skewed toward Michele's... I don't want to say "tastes", as I understand he quite likes her fashion with Jethro... but I guess more toward the styles he would choose left to his own accord for a cyborg rather than her "60's spy" feel with Jethro. She's not a slinky Bond girl anymore with Michele.

Kiskaloo wrote:As to Monty being subdued compared to how Alfisti writes her, that was intentional on my part. I feel that Monty is a "jaded, cynical, grumpy, antisocial, hypocritical, judgmental, impatient workaholic with a superiority complex" more because of her own nature than because of influence (subtle or gross) by Jethro or her early "sink or swim" days as a fratello. As such, I wanted to ensure that underlying personality was still there, just not as sharp or acerbic. Part of that is due to Michele's influence and part of it is because she has "only" been active for six months, so she probably has not spent sufficient time around the other cyborgs to reach maximum annoyance. Check back in another six months.

Honestly, I think Monique would be more subdued under Michele.

While I agree that much of her generalised grumpiness is part of her base personality, Monty also has not really been socialised much under Jethro. Yes, she deals with people "on the job", but there's a large gap between "have to" and "want to"... Give her a role which is Italian-domestic, house her in the cyborg dorm, and she would probably get along better with people and manage her own grouchiness a bit better.

...and I do think Jethro's "sink or swim" approach had an effecto. Here I (and correct me if I'm wrong Kisk) get the impression that Michele's approach to bringing Monique to where she is here has been one of gentle encouragement and nurturing of talent. Jethro's was more a "here's the task and you had better be up to it if you want to keep working together", which I imagine probably contributed to Monty's view that people who can't keep up are not worthy of her time or an opinion. Possibly also, Jethro has unwittingly (on either side of the relationship) encouraged her grumpiness. Look at it like this: every time Monty gets grumpy or snarky etc, Jethro puts an arm around her, gives her a little massage, squeezes her leg, and so on... and while it's meant to either warn her of overstepping the mark or to calm her down a little ("hush, I'm here, everything is alright"), it is also bodily contact which, I think (even if it is only subconsiously) for a cyborg is a form of reward.

While I'm not impilaying Monty's grumpy on purpose for the attention, Jethro also doesn't do much to dissuade her either.

Either way, well done Kisk.

by **Kiskaloo** Wed 26 Jun 2013 - 11:30

Alfisti wrote:...and I do think Jethro's "sink or swim" approach had an effecto. Here I (and correct me if I'm wrong Kisk) get the impression that Michele's approach to bringing Monique to where she is here has been one of gentle encouragement and nurturing of talent.

Yes. He quickly recognized her talents and that is where he steered her. As she grew in ability he started to rely on that, much as Jethro does.

Which is part of the reason why I chose not to continue and do an "after briefing" section where we see Monty do her stuff. You've already proven how brilliant she is at that and, frankly, do it far better than I could.

Anyway, it was a blast to write so maybe I'll think of another pairing...

by Thescarredman Thu 5 Sep 2013 - 22:03

Not sure this belongs here, since it's the OC section and the characters are canon. But there's no equivalent in the canon character section, and some of the posts do include canon characters, so...

The trapdoor creaked open, and Christiano flipped it over with a loud thump. A short flight of steps led down to a dark dirt-floored cellar. At the bottom of the stairs, a small figure, clad only in a pair of child’s underpants, huddled on its side, face turned away from the light. The hair on the back of the boy’s head was dirty, but Christiano was sure it would be light blond when clean.
Beside him, John Doe said, “Looks like we missed one,” and raised his pistol.

“No,” Christiano said, feeling the muscles behind his ears tighten, pulling them closer to his head as if he were a dog about to go into the ring. He chin-nodded at the shackles around the child’s ankles, the chain between just long enough to allow him to shuffle about but not run. “This isn’t one of the Polaccos. It’s merchandise.” Slavers. The wife in Switzerland told us plenty, but she didn’t mention this.

As a rising star in the organization, he had taken on a number of unpleasant tasks for the Five Republics and performed them well, including killing a number of people he thought of as good men who happened to be on the wrong side. The Polaccos had been 'sanctioned because they were a corrupt and divisive faction in the FRF that had to go, but even if they weren’t, Christiano had no qualms about doing away with these scum.

The figure at the bottom of the stairs curled up tighter and shivered.

John shrugged. “What do you want to do? We have to go.”

“Come up here, kid,” Christiano called down. “No one’s going to hurt you.”

The child turned over and got laboriously up on one elbow, and Christiano felt a shock as he realized his mistake. The hair he’d thought was boy-short had been lying mostly underneath; with her head raised, he saw it was nearly down to her waist. A little girl, eight or ten years old.
She looked up at him with huge blue eyes, whether full of hope or fear, he couldn’t tell, and spoke in a language not Italian. John said to him, “Tunisian French, I think. She says, ‘Who are you?’.”

“Tell her if she wants out of there, she should think of me as her kind uncle.”

“You sure about this?”

“No. But it’s what I’m going to do.” He slipped off his coat as John delivered his message, and held it open, waiting.

-0-

“Well,” Marco Toni said to his associate, “At least this has taught us to stick with girls.”

“And pick them young,” replied Jean Croce, watching the new man, Victor Hilshire, at firearms training with his cyborg, a blond-haired boy in his late teens. The ex-Europol cop’s ‘hunting dog’ had just emptied half his magazine from three meters without hitting the target, and didn’t look likely to do any better with the second half: his stance was clumsy, and his limbs kept drifting out of alignment, prompting quick, jerky corrections. It reminded Jean of a kid learning to drive a car – only, the vehicle this boy was trying to master was his new body.

Marco shook his head. “He looks like a puppet on strings. Is he going to get any better?”

“Eventually. I thought about writing him off, but Hilshire insists on sticking with him. Sentiment, I suppose.”

“Brought the candidate in himself, I heard.”

“Stole him out of a Dutch hospital, under the noses of the police no less. That’s why I’m humoring him. He’s got stones.” Jean watched Hilshire correct the boy’s stance, holding him by the elbow. The kid gave his handler a glance that spoke of worship and turned back to the target, concentrating fiercely. “And he’s driven. I like that. He promised that if we didn’t euthanize the kid, he’d make him the most effective cyborg in Section Two.”

Marco watched the boy put a bullet into the target’s outer ring, the first shot to hit anything but the backstop. “Only if Ange and Elsa fall down a well.”

by **Kiskaloo** Thu 5 Sep 2013 - 22:38

Thescarredman wrote:Not sure this belongs here, since it's the OC section and the characters are canon. But there's no equivalent in the canon character section, and some of the posts do include canon characters, so...

What if they'd got a different cyborg? - Page 2 Seal-of-Awesomeness

by **ElfenMagix** Fri 6 Sep 2013 - 21:07

Excellent Scarred! Almost worthy of a fanfiction if you dare add to its completion!

by tremec6speed Sat 7 Sep 2013 - 9:28

Cool! A fun read. Smile

by Alfisti Sat 7 Sep 2013 - 9:33

Nicely written mate, and an interesting premise.

I like that you've picked up the humanity of the Padania in it... anyone new to the series may even mistake them for the "good guys". At least, in-so-far as GsG has "good guys".

by Officer_Charon Mon 9 Sep 2013 - 17:08

Fantastic little blurb. I've always enjoyed Elseworlds stuff... and yours stands well as it's own little blurb. Great!

by Thescarredman Sun 15 Sep 2013 - 18:10

ElfenMagix wrote:Excellent Scarred! Almost worthy of a fanfiction if you dare add to its completion!

Final installment. Anybody wants to take it farther, it's yours.

Christiano sat at the baby grand in his study, playing a melancholy tune that often came to him when he was thinking deeply. The political scene was finally heating up, and there were moves being made on both sides of the game board that merited scrutiny.

The sanction on Giovanni Croce hadn’t gone well at all, in his opinion. Christiano had needed Giacomo Dante’s skill and connections to get past the prosecutor’s security, but he’d never guessed the man would engineer an assassination so spectacular and horrific. The bombing had cost them a great deal of popular support that would have to be won back, as well as the backing of important men who had seen the necessity of taking the prosecutor out but bridled at the murder of two women and a child to get to him.

The government’s reaction had been disappointingly predictable. An ‘investigation’ had been set up, more to assign blame than to find the culprits, and fingers of suspicion had stabbed at everyone handy, even Croce’s grieving sons. Statements about ‘getting tough’ and creating ‘a new agency to deal with the terrorists’ had filled the news at first, then tapered off as the politicians went back to their usual business. New security restrictions and increased surveillance would doubtless make everyday life more onerous for the urban-dwelling common folk who formed the government’s voter base, while scarcely touching the wealthy - including the rich Northerners who funded the separatist movement.

Yes, both sides had been weakened somewhat by Croce’s showy and brutal assassination. But, he reflected, that had probably been part of Dante’s plan all along. The man was an anarchist, after all, brilliant and politically savvy, and, Christiano thought, more than a little crazy…

“Move over.” The slender form of his adopted daughter, chin level with his eyes, appeared in front of the bench to his right. Soft hair brushed his cheek and shoulder as she swept it behind her to avoid sitting on it, and she took the seat beside him.

He moved over, and she positioned her hands over the upper-register keys. Christiano smiled and began the piece again, this time for four hands. He admired her small dark hands fluttering over the keyboard. ”So, how was the sparring session with John?”

“I cleaned up and changed,” she protested. “How did you know?” After years in his house, the girl spoke Italian fluently but with an accent he found charming.

“You should have worn long sleeves,” he said. “I see the bruises forming on your arms. And makeup won’t hide the one on your cheek for much longer.”

“He trains me hard to make me the best. He doesn’t say - you know John - but I think he’s pleased with me. I think I’m ready for an assignment.”

“When he says so, and not a moment before.” He took a deep breath and let it out. “I imagined a different life for you, Tunisia.”

‘Tunisia’ was not the girl’s birth name, but after so long in his care, she had nearly forgotten her first one … as she had nearly forgotten her parents’ murders the night she was taken, and everything that had been done to her in captivity. Her life had essentially begun when she had stumbled up the cellar stairs into the light and into his arms, and that was the way Christiano wanted it.

“Father, I can’t just be your little princess for the rest of my life. I need to be useful. And you’ve done so much for me.”

He stopped playing and rested a hand over hers. “You will always be my little princess, whatever else you may become.”

-0-

Victor Hilshire poked his head into his cyborg’s dorm room to find the boy reading on his bed. “Conrad, every time I see you lately, you have your nose in that book. What’s your interest?”

Conrad closed the small bound volume and left it on the bed as he stood. “Blame Pia. Before she left us, she used to call me ‘Pinocchio’ all the time. She never explained.” He shrugged into his jacket. “Just like her. She was a thinker, but she never came right out and told you her mind, always dropping hints and clues for you to figure out.”

“And did you?” Hilshire closed the door behind his student as they stepped into the hall, and they walked side-by-side towards the car park.

“Easy enough, I suppose. I’m a clumsy creation that wants to be real. I have good intentions, but I make a lot of mistakes. And,” he went on in a lower voice, “I’m a devoted son.”

Hilshire rested a hand on the boy’s shoulder. “Most of your mistakes are behind you now. You’ve worked hard, and done very well. We’re a good team.”

The boy blushed at the praise and the hand on his shoulder. “Where are we going?”

“Naples. A little errand for Section One, a pickup on a witness who skipped on them.”

“Why us? Who is he?”

“An acquaintance of mine, actually. A pentito by the name of Mario Bossi.”

by **Kiskaloo** Sun 15 Sep 2013 - 19:02

Thescarredman wrote:
Final installment. Anybody wants to take it farther, it's yours.

Great stuff.

It reminds me of Danjo3's great piece titled Quiet Desperation (which inspired me to write own story titled Spin Theory).

by Thescarredman Sun 15 Sep 2013 - 19:41

I read 'Quiet Desperation' some time ago, and enjoyed it very much. Thanks for turning me on to 'Spin Theory' - a very good read.

by **Kiskaloo** Wed 9 Oct 2013 - 16:05

Came up with two one-shots last night, one of which is another handler-cyborg swap:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Synchromesh”

ADMINISTRATION BUILDING PARKING LOT
SOCIAL WELFARE AGENCY COMPOUND
MARCH

“I just thought things would be different, ya know?” Allison Pagani noted as she leaned against the front left fender of the Fuji White Alfa Romeo 8 Competizione Spyder, the melancholy clear in her voice.

“A petrolhead like you with access to a garage of exotics and supercars and a handler who hates to drive? I’d think you’d be in heaven,” Petrushka Ricci observed.

“Oh I know how fortunate I am on that end,” Allison answered. “I mean look at this…” She turned and swept her arm across the shapely curves of Wolfgang Effer’s design.

“You’ve only been a fratello for a bit,” Jay Valentine noted, his eyes more interested in the shapely curves of Allison in her haute couture high neck sleeveless mini dress, created by Giambattista Valli on commission specifically for wearing with the Alfa. The dress was primarily red cashmere to match the red leather interior with a white triangular swatch at the bottom left to reflect the Fuji White paint of the exterior. The outfit was completed with Chloé black leather knee boots and Dents driving gloves in black leather.

On weekends and when not-on-call, Allison preferred jeans, tees and sneakers, but when in public with her handler, she dressed to the nines in the latest wears from the top fashion houses of Italy and France. Triela may be the “princess of Section One”, but to Jay’s eyes, Allison was the real royalty.

“Track days are fun and all, but I want to be able to share my interests in doing project cars with him. The man worked for Scuderia Ferrari, for heaven’s sake. Think of what he could teach me!”

“Have you asked him about maybe working on one of his Ferraris or Lamborghini’s?” Jay asked, instantly regretting it as Allison fixed him with a hard stare.

“Like he’d let me put a spanner to them,” she replied. “Besides, the factories spend tens of millions a year on getting every last bit of performance out of them. It’s why upgrades are mostly limited to wheels and interior trim.”

“Maybe you need a different project car,” Jay suggested, trying to recover. “He’s Italian, so maybe an Alfa or Lancia?”

Allison looked thoughtful. While her handler had a large collection of Italian and British automobiles, he didn’t own anything Japanese and her current project cars were a Toyota Corolla GT-S / Sprinter Trueno and a Mazdaspeed MX-5. She’d performed a number of engine and suspension upgrades to them, turning the Toyota into a hairy drift car and the MX-5 into a fearsome track racer.

The three cyborgs heard the front door open and a handsome man in a black suit descended the stairs.

“Gotta go,” Allison noted, opening the driver’s side door and slipping into the leather bucket seat. She fired the 4.7-liter V8 into life, blipping the throttle before putting the car into drive and pulling up next to the entrance. Her handler settled into the passenger seat and Allison headed for the front gate. The security guard waved them through and Allison proceeded out onto the stone bridge that crossed the river that ran along the western edge of the compound property.

“So I was talking with Blacker over drinks the other night and I finally convinced him to run an entry in the 24 Hours Nürburgring,” Michele noted.

“Really? Awesome!” Allison said.

“I suggested we run an M3 GT4, but since it is just going to be us four and we have to drive it to Germany and back, Jethro feels we should go with something more streetable, fixable and reliable like an E90 3-series diesel and then modify it for racing.”

“A diesel would have plenty of torque and the 335d has almost as much horsepower as the non-turbo gasoline engine. The M Sport Edition adds an aerodynamic package and we can beef up the brakes and suspension plus add a roll bar, racing seats and a fuel cell.”

“Well give it some thought over the weekend and we’ll pitch it to Jethro. If he agrees, we’ll find some garage space. I hope you don’t mind spending the next two months of weekends with your old man wrenching on cars,” Michele noted with a smile.

“I wouldn’t mind at all,” Allison replied with an even bigger grin.

by MP5 Wed 9 Oct 2013 - 16:23

Man, this post makes me so happy.

by **Kiskaloo** Wed 9 Oct 2013 - 18:00

MP5 wrote:Man, this post makes me so happy.

KuroNeko's first picture of Giulia gave me some inspiration. Smile

by Thescarredman Wed 9 Oct 2013 - 21:12

Jay and Allison - the more things change...

by Alfisti Tue 21 Jan 2014 - 7:06

Thescarredman wrote:
ElfenMagix wrote:Excellent Scarred! Almost worthy of a fanfiction if you dare add to its completion!
Final installment. Anybody wants to take it farther, it's yours.

You know, I completely missed you posting part two of this?

Awkward.

You know, you do an excellent job of plucking at heart strings, albeit with a somewhat gentler touch than, say, Taer utilises. This was a lovely little view into two lives that might have been, and I like that Triela is willingly stepping into the same shoes that Pino filled in the canon... she doesn't seem like the type to sit idly by. They're still the same people, and you did a masterful job of retaining the same names (as it were) with that, just on different sides of the conflict now, just as Hilshire and Christiano retain their humanity and positions as well.

Great stuff.

by tremec6speed Wed 22 Jan 2014 - 0:11

Great contributions ScarredMan and Kiskaloo! Smile

by **ElfenMagix** Fri 24 Jan 2014 - 15:56

Let me throw in a curve ball...

Why would a cyborg / handler be swapped? Could Jose lend out Henrietta to Hillshire because Triela is down with the "Blue Flu?" Or a mission has to be done with a certain cyborg because she was the contact in the mission and the handler goes down due to injury and is temporarily replaced with another?

Here in these cases will be some interesting stories to thrown in...

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