0014: Pilot Tag, 2017

(The Pinup Girl):

When Yancy was thirteen, his first crush was on Tifa Lockhart, an utterly fictional character. Rational dictated that it was likely the size of her breasts and her long legs that attracted him to her, but he also enjoyed playing as a Monk, so he always chose Tifa as his preferred player character.

He liked her so much that he went to a Halloween party as a male Tifa. Naturally, no one had any idea who he was supposed to be, which was disappointing.

The world ending tended to bring back the oddest recollections. When Gipsy Danger was still pristine and new, not a scratch on her, one of the technicians asked him what he wanted to put on her hull to signify his and Raleigh's ownership of the Jaeger. Yancy shrugged initially, more baffled by the idea of ownership over a partnership with the machine.

"C'mon, you don't wanna put anything on this girl?" The tech nudged him suggestively in the ribs as Yancy continued to stare at the right chestplate. It took a moment, but the tumble of his mind eventually led him back to his days of video games and he turned to face the tech as he departed across the catwalk situated in front of Gipsy's chest.

"Hey, guy, you ever heard of Final Fantasy?"

The tech turned and shook his head. "No, what is it?" Yancy didn't hide his enthusiasm; he walked over to the tech and began to describe Tifa to the best of his abilities. The guy seemed to get it, particularly when he described her prominent physical attributes. The very next day, the tech dragged him and Raleigh out to bay eight and presented them his handiwork. She looked nothing like Tifa outside of the long legs, dark hair and bust framed by suspenders. There was more Lara Croft in her anything. "Maybe I should've given you a picture," Yancy muttered, his inner fan bruised at the inaccuracy.

"What, you don't like it?" The tech asked, crestfallen.

"Hell, I do, she's gorgeous," Raleigh interjected excitedly. "Can we get this on our jackets? Right across from the kill count?" The tech nodded, he and his brother bumped fists. Yancy bit his tongue, discontent with examining the pinup girl's extreme difference from his favorite character.

(Anti-Kaiju Stamp):

Metharocin was quite possibly the worst thing Yancy was ever required to ingest. He understood the reasons, the necessity that literally suggested his life depended on it, but it was never an easy pill to swallow. No matter the method, the bitter taste still managed to find its way onto his taste buds and challenged his gag reflex.

Sitting on the back of Gipsy Danger's outstretched hand, however, made him cautiously appreciative of the bitter medicine given his proximity to the heart of the machine. He was no skilled artist, but he didn't need to be when he had a huge stamp to lay across the middle finger of the Jaeger.

He adjusted the belt around his waist, tugging on the lifeline attached to Gipsy Danger's wrist. The mist of red paint spread across the finger of the machine without bleeding over the edges on account of his steady hand.

The idea had been Raleigh's; it was by no means subtle (or mature) and they forever doubted that the Kaiju could read symbols or speak English. It gave them a sense of satisfaction in knowing they could literally scream "FU Kaiju" with their fist in every fight without ever uttering the words. Releasing his grip on the handle, Yancy hooked the paint gun onto his tool belt and pulled the stamp away. The head of the Kaiju sparkled under the track lights above.

"Yancy, you almost done?"

Yancy reached for the radio hanging on his right hip and pressed down on the "talk" button. "Yeah, I'm all done," He said. "Give me a minute to get down."

"Hurry up, I'm freezing in this hall and I think I hear someone coming," Raleigh grumbled. Balling the stamp up, Yancy stood up and moved toward the part of the arm nearest to the movable catwalk.

No one, not even the tech teams noticed the symbol on the middle finger of Gipsy Danger. It sat idle and unappreciated outside of the gaze of the Becket brother's for a year until the left wrist needed repairs.

Author's Note: So apparently, embroidering your armor and/or clothing with Kaiju kill counts is a common thing among Jeager Pilots and not exclusive Striker Eureka's pilots (the Hansens). A blown up screencap of Yancy and Raleigh in their Gipsy Danger jackets show they have four Kaiju heads on the right side of their jacket. Kinda makes me wonder where Cherno Alpha and Crimson Typhoon's kill counts would be.