Technically, I sent this as private C&C, not public.  Just so you know,
it's normally not OK to reply to private in public - but in this case,
I don't mind. ^_^  If you really think this is better on the list...

Vash The Stampede wrote:

From: Adrian Tymes <wingcat@pacbell.net>

Given Millie's physical strength, the limiting factor would probably be
material strength.  Which would give first: the shovel spade, the
rebounding material, or Knives' skull (at least, the part of it in the
shovel's path)?  And I mean "give" as in "completely give way", not just
"fracture".

Ow. @_@; I ... I think I'll just have her swing once to smack him in the
face with the shovel @.@;

What did you think "bitchslap with a shovel" would look like?  Good,
solid metal meant for ordinary field work is nowhere near as soft and
yielding as a typical human hand.  ^_^;

The scary thing is, Knives might be able to survive even if the attack
roughed up his frontal lobes as well as his face.  And I can see Millie
pissed off at Knives enough to do this - first and foremost over
Nicholas, but not entirely - even to deliberately position the
rebounding material and imagine herself through the process ahead of
time so that, when the act comes, it is completely in cold blood.
Frankly, if you're looking for a good emotional shock scene, you could
do worse than to have Meryl discover this just as Millie's setting it
up, and not figure out what the metal plates and shovel are for until
Millie strikes.  Then have Meryl try to reconcile what she just saw with
the upbeat Millie she always thought she knew.

Refutation: horses and donkeys can breed to produce (sterile) mules, yet
they are not from the same genetic stock, merely related.  Likewise,
plants could be super-enhanced humans - Knives can not deny that mature
plants and mature humans certainly *look* similar, on casual inspection
- where the enhancers left interbreeding possible since disabling it
would not have been a significant benefit.  Now, whether the offspring
is plant, human, or something else is another story.

Actually, plants are created from humans, by humans. Or were, when plants
were first created. (Which is why no one can BUILD a plant on planet
gunsmoke--they lost the genetic engineering and faculties required to do
so.) Hence the humanoid qualities of the plant-creatures, and the fact that
Vash and Knives are essentially human in appearance and most basic
functions. (This is all detailed in the manga.)

True.  But how much of this would Knives have learned - or believe?
Even a century plus of self-delusion can't deny the evidence of his
eyes, though.
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