"I. Wh-what?"

Audible confusion. Request for video communication, cockpit to cockpit. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Spam request additional twenty six times.

The Gods-Smiting Whip is still. Its sword arm lowers, while four of its ever present tails hover and flit about its shoulders. One in particular keeps darting lower, circling the mecha's waist. They are the only parts of the machine that move. This is not a neutral stance, no clever battle trick from which a thousand hidden techniques might spring. She is simply...

Standing. Off balance, at that.

"Do you not? You. No. You must. Mustn't you? You... surely you. You [i]do[/i] know this tournament offers a prize, right? What, are you one of those 'All For the Motherland' types? Or do you mean to tell me that. You really. You came all this way. You fought through a black hole for... for fun?"

Silence, followed by choking. Reluctance, the sound pulled from her unwillingly. A cough, a groan, and then laughter. Not hollow laughter: strained chuckles that war with dignity and self seriousness and then cry out with ever increasing waves of mirth when it triumphs. Mildly condescending. Deeply amused.

"You came here believing a Fisher cat would come here to, to play games! Wearing the colors of Hybrasil, of all things! I, hahahahahahaha, I do not! I cannot! Ahaha! Is that impudence or innocence? No matter, let me take you to school, Little Goddess and her Dolly. The winner of this tournament is granted a wish. That is to say, the greatest pilot is granted any one thing they desire that is within the combined powers of the [Three Great Mothers] to give. My price is so high that nominal control of the galaxy might not even seem worth it to the ones who will pay it. Yours... mm. High Command must have struggled to speak through all of their purring when [i]you[/i] turned up."

A sigh. No signs of movement from Ninetails. Request for video linkup withdrawn. Withdrawn. Withdrawn. Repeat.

"That is enough. I have no more words for kittens playing their first game of pounce. If you wish to speak as adults, then first become one."