The beginning of something new [Rhi-Rhi!]

[Anonymous]

Esmeralda practically skipped down the hall, she was that excited.  She couldn't believe she was finally getting her first mission as a full-fledged pilot.  She could finally prove to everyone that she deserved to be one of the youngest pilots ever.

Esmeralda quickly got to the door of her superior's office.  She opened the door, eager to hear about her first mission.  What she saw standing in front of her wasn't just one of her superiors, but also one of her fellow cardinal pilots.  She recognized the boy.  That had both trained together, but they hadn't exactly talked that much before.  He didn't exactly talk that much, and well, she did.

"Um sir," she started, ready to ask why if she was perhaps interrupting something.  She couldn't possibly be required to have a partner on her first mission, could she?  She didn't need a partner.  She was perfectly capable of handling things by herself.  "Esmeralda," her superior stated, smirking, "meet your partner for your first mission." Esmeralda stood there, silently fuming.  She did not need a partner!

[OOC: Sorry this is so late!]

[Rhi-Rhi]

[OOC: It's all good! <3]

Shiloh was always early. When one was paranoid like himself, they made sure to leave long before they had to be to their destination just in case anything unexpected popped up to delay them. It meant he was usually at least ten minutes early to anything, sometimes more, because he'd rather be waiting around doing nothing than get in trouble for tardiness. Yeah, yeah, he was the system's bitch.

The door opened and Shiloh swiveled to look. He'd been told he had a partner, which didn't surprise him; few missions were solo ones and he'd gone on several in Stage 5 and a couple since becoming a Pilot. He recognized the girl, had exchanged the occasional word with her, but he didn't really know her. Like most people, he'd kept her at a distance.

"Pilot Lockwood here is going to be your support," the other Pilot--Pilot Murphy, a Noble--said, and launched into a breakdown of what, exactly, their mission was.

It was a pretty simple-sounding one: head down into the Midhaven for a routine scan to check if there were any psychics down there. Esmeralda would be leading the mission with Shiloh there to back her up and help out, but mostly it would be her show.

When he was finished, the man arched an eyebrow and looked over both. "Any questions?"

"Nossir!" Shiloh answered, already itching to get this over with.

[Anonymous]

Esmeralda smiled, pleased that she was going to be in charge of this mission.  She didn't like taking a back seat to anyone, but that was just something she had developed since becoming a candidate.  One of these days, she wouldn't mind taking the back seat to someone else again, but today wasn't that day.  Esmeralda turned around, looking at the man who would be partner in this mission.  Hm, she thought, maybe for once she could make a friend here.  She didn't have many friends since she became a pilot, so maybe he could be one of her first.

She smiled at him, extending her hand to him, "Hi!  I'm Esmeralda and I'm pleased to be working with you on this mission," she attempted a small girlish giggle.  Maybe he would like her better if she acted like a girly girl.  She stared at him, fake smile still intact.  She quickly shook her head, she couldn't do this.  Esmeralda might be many things, but she definitely wasn't going to be a fake.

She suddenly cocked her hip to one side, placing one hand on either side.  "You know what," she started, looking him up and down, "forget that first introduction at all.  I'm nothing like that at all.  My name is Esmeralda, thought, but you can call me Esme.  It's easier to say after all.  I am pleased to be working with you, but I must warn you right here.  I can sometimes be a little bit of a b with an itch.  Don't take it to heart.  I can just get in a mood sometimes," she extended her hand, smiling.  "I hope we can be good friends, Shiloh," she mocked curtsied, laughing.  Oh yes, she really did hope he would be her first friend.  She smiled, it didn't hurt that he was good looking too.  She inwardly laughed, this would be fun.

[Rhi-Rhi]

Shiloh...honestly did not know how to respond. The girl was all over the place, she was confusion as fuck, and he couldn't keep up. One moment she's acting like a bimbo, and the next she's talking about itchy bees. At least, that's what he could have sworn he heard her talking about, but what the fuck that had to do with anything was completely lost on him--though he was pretty sure she must be making fun of him because he couldn't understand a word she was saying, even though it was in his language.

Which only pissed him off more, and he stiffened as she curtsied. Yep. She was fucking poking fun at him. He hadn't yet figured out over what but that didn't matter.

When she was done, he realized his mouth was hanging open and he snapped it shut, eyes burning because he hadn't blinked and muscles tight with rage. "Uhh..." His eyes dropped down to her extended hand, and then he shook himself and smacked her hand away.

"Uh...whatever. Look, lady, jus'...stop...talkin'. Fuck," he finally said, turning away from her and toward the door out. He could already tell this mission was going to be a miserable one, could already feel rage and irritation creeping up. He grit his teeth and held it back, striding out the door, because this was a mission and they needed to work together.

Fuck his life.

[Anonymous]

His eyes dropped down to her extended hand, and then he shook himself and smacked her hand away.  

Esmeralda stared at him shocked, did he seriously just smack her hand away?  Who did this guy think she was?  She was just trying to be friendly and nice to him and here he smacked her hand away!  The jerk, she stared up at him glaring.  

"Uh...whatever. Look, lady, jus'...stop...talkin'. Fuck," he finally said, turning away from her and toward the door out.  

Esmeralda quickly took off out the door, chasing him down.  "Hey, you, jerkface!" she yelled at him, "Did you just seriously smack my hand away?" She stopped in front of him, preventing him from continuing his walk.  Esmeralda glared at him, she was fine with being called names.  Heck, she didn't even care that he basically told her to shut up but smacking her hand away was just plain rude.

"Look," she told him, continuing to glare at him, "You can call me a bad name or tell me to shut up, I don't care.  But, don't you ever smack my hand away like I'm worse than scum. I haven't ever done anything to you, except introduce myself.  Maybe it wasn't the best introduction but it doesn't excuse you to be rude to me!" She stood there, arms crossed over her chest, staring him down.  What a fun start to her first official mission, she thought.

[Anonymous]

Bart was running a little late, but the interview had gone a little longer than he had planned. Silly bugger had been doing alright, then he had let something slip that turned a simple investigation into a major one. But things were being handled and as always, Bart had other shit to do.

Which in this case was babysit a girl on her first mission. They didn't really need a Royal for this, but he had gotten drafted and it was nice to get out of the office. Heading down the hall, he caught the tail end of some slightly heated conversations. Strolling over, he came up behind Shiloh, putting his hand on his shoulder, "Well, sorry for bein' late y'all. Work just never seems ta end. Pilot Fletcher, yeah? Nice ta meet cha. Now, I technically outrank ya, but I'm just here ta observe, so this is still yer mission darlin'."

[Rhi-Rhi]

It was lucky Bart stepped in when he did, because Shiloh had been about to lose it and trying hard not to, because this chick was his commanding officer for the mission and he had to be on his best behavior. Yet here she was, lecturing him about how he was such a terrible person after she had mocked him! Everything about her screamed hostility, right down to the way she blocked him off, and he took a deep breath and went deadly silent as he tried to hold it all in and think before he spoke.

That was when he felt a hand on his shoulder and, before he could react, a familiar voice filled his ears.

Bart! Right. He was coming along with them.

With him cutting in, Shiloh relaxed a little, though he leveled Esmeralda with with a scowl. He wasn't gonna apologize for shit.

"Hey, Bart. Uh, Pilot Hamilton, sir," Shiloh said, snapping off a salute a bit belatedly. "So, uh, Midhaven, yeah?"

[Anonymous]

Esmeralda watched as Bart walked up to the two of them.  She hadn't ever really talked to Bart before, but he seemed like a nice enough guy.  She saluted the Royal as he finished walking towards them, "Hello pilot.  It's a honor to be working with you on this mission." She smiled at the man, hoping to at least get on his good side.  She didn't want both of the men she would be working with to hate her.

"Hey, Bart. Uh, Pilot Hamilton, sir," Shiloh said, snapping off a salute a bit belatedly. "So, uh, Midhaven, yeah?"

She raised an eyebrow as she watched the two's exchange.  Hm, she thought, they must be friends.  She looked over at Shiloh, attempting a small smile.  "Listen," she sighed, "I'm not the best at first impressions, so I can understand why you would be mad at me.  I'm really sorry for what I did.  We won't ever get through this mission if we are both at each other's throats." She frowned, this wasn't turning out how she thought it would.

[Anonymous]

"Hmm? Did I miss somethin'?" Bart glanced between the two. Shiloh did seem pretty tense, but he hoped it wasn't anything major. And the kid was smart enough to get along when he needed too, he hoped.

"Well, I'm sure we'll all get along just fine. Midhaven is a long ways, so I don't wanna keep us here." It wasn't really his place to get them going, but they could talk on the way.

[Rhi-Rhi]

"No. Nothin'," Shiloh told Bart while side-eying Esmeralda. The fuck? She kept flip-flopping all over the place and he just wasn't sure this wasn't another weird switch. One thing Shiloh definitely valued was consistency; it threw him off completely when people just kept acting different because he just wasn't sure how to interpret that--except to be confused and suspect they were mocking them in some way.

He was too awkward himself to realize that other people could be just as socially inept--and he was far too used to being made fun of not to assume he wasn't.

"We'll get through this mission fine, but we ain't gettin' nowhere if we don't start gettin'."