Laughing to the bank and snickering from it.

[i_like_shades]

[Yet another new pilot for the Chalice. His late entry saved him the lovely repair bill the other Ravens got to enjoy and thus was laughing his way to the banking website.]

Down 800 credits for two shots fired... I'll be charging interest on the next job, Crest.

[He wasn't down by much compared to the other two and much less compared to what he had in the bank but losses to one's savings always hurt regardless when built up from scratch.]

Looks like I'll be here for awhile. May as well make the best of it. I wonder what the people here are like...

[Adapting to change. A sign of being an old crow.]

Comments

[desiredstrength]

You!

[Sup, Castellan. You're suddenly confronted by a grumpy young woman.]

You've been bad news since you showed up. No, I don't care what kind of reputation you've got...I want answers.

[i_like_shades]

Hello to you too... The heads don't want me around because I'm bad for future business so I'm stuck here on pay, with you two. Why are you two here as well? You'll have to take that up with them.

[He's still enjoying is cigar seemingly without a care in the world.]

[desiredstrength]

Don't give me tha-

[...Wait...]

Did you say you're on pay? What about us?

[i_like_shades]

[He opens a digital copy of his contract for you.]

You aren't?

[If you take a closer look at his contract, it says he's supposed to take care of you and Ryou but its obviously not good enough a reason for the absurd paycheck right after it.]

They don't tell us everything. I'm still in the same boat because I'm not buying how babysitting gets me several million credits.

[He knows the real reason but he's not saying it.]

[desiredstrength]

Not to my knowledge.

[Which just pisses her off more.]

The Ark must really be desperate if they had to get you for the job. I figured you were busy playing a mid-ranker.

[i_like_shades]

I like my rank. I only play when someone rearranges the ranks and bumps me somewhere else.

[He seems to be quite used to angry people and isn't doing anything your typical person would to change the mood.]

Anything else I can get for you? I mean aside anything that involves money.

[That's right he's still a penny pincher after all.]

[desiredstrength]

A break. You don't have to spend anything to get that for me, do you?

[i_like_shades]

You're barking up the wrong tree. I don't run things so technically to get the bosses to give you a break i do have to spend money... It's the only thing they listen to after all.

[neverwanted2dance]

[[Well, here's one person worth staring at. Long blonde hair, big chest, and parading around in a cheerleading uniform.

You missed what she was doing earlier, now she's just too lazy to change... and it's too early for a LOOOOOONG shower, so, she's garnering attention where she can get it. New people!]]

Well, you're new, Mister Mysterious~

[i_like_shades]

[Castellan examines her thoroughly behind his shades as he makes use of what he can. He's hard to impress with physical features alone.]

Not bad... My apologies. You can call me Castellan and who might I have the pleasure of talking to?

[neverwanted2dance]

[[Well, she's not going to be impressing him with the extensional quandaries of life!]]

My name's Liiiiiiilly. [[And she drags it out for flirting purposes.]] You gonna be hanging around a while, or juuust visiting, mmm?

[i_like_shades]

I'll be here awhile. I'm looking forward to everyone's hospitality.

[That sounds like it has multiple meanings and it does, only probably not what lily thinks.]

And what about you?

[neverwanted2dance]

[[Or maybe it does. She doesn't think very hard.]] Oh, I can be veery hospitable.

I'm just waiting around for the next report of Underwater Monsters Gone Wild. [[Haha... she made a funny...]] My robot isn't good for too much else except fighting them sooo... I'm just waiting around... nothing... and nobody to do.

[i_like_shades]

Ho... I see. Unfortunately I'm here on business and I don't know you well enough for anything. A drink and a chat to pass the time sounds good to me if you'd like to share your... exploits.

[neverwanted2dance]

I don't mind but... I'm not old enough to drink. I don't want to either. I've gotta keep in shape, you know~

[[And that looks like an amazing shape to keep! Topheavy, slim waist, great hips...]]

[i_like_shades]

[Long way to go.]

I see.

[He takes a sip of his coffee because its a drink too.]

I recall hearing about some green horns that are a sad excuse for mercenaries that were once here. It would help if you could elaborate on what happened.

[At the very least he's heard the accusations somewhere along the lines of technology stealing?]

[neverwanted2dance]

[[The other AC guys? Nope, she wasn't here for them. Rather, she takes it a different direction.]]

Why do people keep judging me on that! It's not good on land, and I haven't had a whole lot of practice walking around with it. It's meant for being in the water, and fighting monsters, not tiny little robot people! [[Scowl!]]

[i_like_shades]

[Corporation gorllias aka Lynx.]

Well its good to know there's balance here because the limit is above the water for me.

[neverwanted2dance]

At least I'm still trying! I'm not some kind of quitter! I've heard even professional guys even quit!

[[Pout.]]

[i_like_shades]

Everyone quits sometime. I hope to get enough cash to retire as well. I wish you good luck that you won't be out prematurely until the time is right...

[not_the_deer]

It's you!

[i_like_shades]

Hmmm?

[not_the_deer]

The guy who appeared out of nowhere during the fight! ...And then hit on the XO when it was over!

[i_like_shades]

Nice to meet you too. Name's Castellan. I wasn't being serious with the XO.

[Not that you could tell. His tone is always the same.]

We'll be working together for awhile so is there anything I should know about the rest of the Chalice?

[not_the_deer]

...Oh, right. I'm Tobia Arronax, of the Crossbone Vanguard! Glad you helped us out there.

Well, the Chalice is full of all kinds of people, from different factions and places. And some of them are pretty damn weird! You should probably learn who's who.

[i_like_shades]

Good to know. I haven't seen much of the outside world or universe but have heard plenty of it. I also hear this place is... Notorious for bringing quite a bit of those together so it will take me awhile to find out who's who.

[He's quite interested in how much power can negate skill because ACs were never about power.]

[not_the_deer]

Don't let the bad rep fool you, though! We're good guys. Well, most of us.

[i_like_shades]

Hmmm... While that sounds good, I'll have to admit I'm not qualified to be a good guy.

[not_the_deer]

Because you're a merc who only works for money?

Did anyone pay you to help us out there?

[i_like_shades]

Not because I only work for money, but because I've already killed far too many people. I may have killed civilians because they were directly in the way and avoiding them would have resulted in more deaths but it is a fact that I was the one who chose to end them regardless of my reasons.

[By that he means in the thousands since he started working.]

As for your second question... Not quite. I'm paid to keep my fellow Ravens out of trouble.