People started to get cozy with one another and that set Aimee's mind at ease. She did not weird them out. Yet. But still, she fell into the vibe that seemed to get more and more chill as people gathered and sat with one another. That suited her just fine. It felt like any other place to connect with others and so with a smile upon her face, she did what she normally did in such a place. She shut her mouth, opened her sketchbook and started to draw. Then there was a knock, the door opening, and an new person joining them. Aimee narrowed her eyes at him as he intro'd himself and stepped away to make coffee. The narrowed eyed look continued to follow his every step until he sat down. She glanced at his expression as he drank his coffee and put the cup back down. He was smoking! Aimee wanted one too now. She closed her sketchbook and tucked it and its pencil companion away into her pack and was about to get up to go outside-- hazel eyes popped wide. He was smoking! ...inside. Aimee stifled a small chuckle as she reached into her pack to grab a ciggie. She put the white cancer-stick to her mouth then out came her zippo to-- [color=bc8dbf]"Smoking will surely kill you,"[/color] she heard the scolding tone in Nellie's voice as she spoke to the late-comer Butei. --the cigarette went back into her pack. The Zippo went back into her pocket. A shade of warm guilty red hit her cheeks. Now she really wanted a smoke. But instead what she got was a fellow come on over and sit with her. She smiled politely and adjusted her red beret as he tossed his jacket over and promptly sat down. And as he spoke, she nodded in all the right spots, eyes never leaving his face all the while in her head, she wondered about his statement about growing up with [i]'letting a gun do its talking for you'[/i] or whatever he said earlier. When he was done speaking she just kept nodding and staring at him. [color=00a99d]“Thanks. And out here it's just Aimee. But you. If you want you can call me--”[/color] ~~~~ [hider=Flashback][quote][i]Chuff-chuff-chuff-chuff—[/i] Stall. They were falling. All systems fail. All chaos and abandon. What was wrong? [color=7bcdc8]“Hold tight, team! Mama bird sees it! Board just burnt out, stupid fail safe says if the board burns, it shuts down for reboot. Fail systems. “We don't have time for that,” [/color]she barked out, [color=7bcdc8]“hold fast, Team! If you bail, you fail! I gots ya! Still gots wings! Listen up, we just need a bypass! Like a 2nd gear clutch pop in Dad's old crap-mobile! Easy-peasy, Mister sleazy!”[/color] But it was not a malfunction. It was a sabotage. Intentional. It was a shiny new Valor. A tiltrotor. First gen, and a donated gift to 'The Academy.' It was Aimee's first run with the bird, and not her last. But it was her first live test to quick fix a fatal situation. But not just her, there were others on board that day that pitched in too. For the lesson was simple; if they did not work it out as a unit, if they did not fix it as a multi-headed beast, they fail; they do not make the cut and just die. But she found the Zone. She painted out the situation and found that one incomplete brush stroke of luck. And more importantly, she found that she could work with a team. And most importantly; she found she had to trust their skills and responses. When the situation was under control and the bird chuffed back into life, you could imagine the relief and cheers. They passed the test. They lived. The rest of the mission scored mulit-headed beast-mode success. No one left behind. No casualties. Mama bird saw them home. They even held a glass to her in her name. They cheered her as--[/quote][/hider] ~~~~~ [color=00a99d]“--Miss Aces.”[/color] Aimee said, [color=00a99d]“I 'member ya, Baby Face. Gamma Team. We should have died over the Terminal Pass. But you didn't bail. You kept the drop team calm, right? What's a gun without the man behind it and all that, right? That's you, right? Yayuh...! Mama bird had ya. All o' yas. So whaddya say. Let's make you make you own mind up about them. Let's go meet 'em? Go team!”[/color] Aimee stood up, reached out to grab Jacobs wrist and gave it a tug. She nodded at him then spun around now, black fluffy skirt chasing her quick motion. She bounced away a few steps then her chin lowered slightly and her hazel eyes dulled and darkened a bit. [color=00a99d]“We should have died at Terminal Pass, Baby-Face... but hey, there's a reason we all made it out alive and now those of us at the Pass get on Div. Six together, right? We get to start all over again. Make it right.”[/color] She gave him a nod then continued on, striped stockings and black kid boots walking her on over to a group of three others. [color=00a99d]“Arryn.”[/color] Her eyes lightened up and brightened up to a lighter green than her often seen olive green hued eyes. A black nailed finger pointed unabashedly at the lavender headed lady as she sauntered on over. [color=00a99d]“ I called her [i]Boom-Boom.[/i] She's that's the all-seeing, all-being, female fixer. Like, I know she snubbed you earlier when ya called her EOD. Yeah I heard that, but It's prolly cuz she's soooo more than that. Fo'sho!”[/color] The pointing finger slid over and aimed at Victor. [color=00a99d]“Dude with glasses. I call him [i]Money.[/i] You probably know him as a med. But he is so much more than that. You a betting man, Baby-Face? Bet on Vic. He comes through,, He's instant Money, nom sayin', not playin' dragon-slayin' uh-huh!”[/color] Dark eyebrows popped upward, and Aimee hesitated. [color=00a99d]“Yeah... that's the reason why I keep my mouth shut. I don't say things like other people. I have a weird brain, Baby-Face... but... whatever... just know when I get all quiet I don't hate you, 'kay?”[/color] If Jacob had followed her over here, she would have grabbed at his wrist again and pulled him over to an open seat. She herself sat down in front of Jacob and right beside Victor, both hands smoothed out her skirt before clasping together on her lap. Then:. [color=00a99d]“Third, wheel?? Wut...?” [/color]an affectionate slap on the arm she gave the glasses- wearing Dagula, [color=00a99d]“hey, Victor, no way, I'm letting you off that easy... hahahahah... Hey, Arryn. How ya been, girl? Hi, Deuce. Still got the Ninja? Oh! This guy here is Baby-Face, cuz... awww just look at that face, right? He's my boyfrieeeeeend.... hahahahah! No, not really. He's not lezzy enough... Yet. Hahahah! I'm just... oh! Hey, they have scones up in here right? Oooohh... and biscotti?! Who wants one? I'll buy! Whacha want, babies?”[/color] Aimee put both hands to her mouth to stifle her laughter. This was the first time in a long time that she actually had a bunch of people together and felt comfortable enough to blabber away. There was more people here at this table than her last birthday party! [color=00a99d]“Cuz you're in Mama bird's nest now, and you're under wing, softly singing, hey-hey, ain't no thing!” [/color] At the counter she waved at Nellie as the Assault lady was rummaging through drawers and containers. [color=00a99d]“Hey, girl. After you find what you need, you should totally bring your hottie new boyfriend over and totally meet my hottie new boyfriend... hahahah...! Ummm. Or not... 'Kay. Later.” [/color] After picking up some sweets and other goodies, she dropped a couple of bills on the counter and returned to hand out those sweets and other goodies. Whatever was not taken ended up piled up in the middle of their table. Aimee would listen in to what the others had to say and prep herself to pipe in. This was the hard part for her; the balance of spouting off what was in her mind versus the context of the conversation at hand. But she knew that as soon as it became time to 'talk shop,' she would be able to settle her mind and focus in settle in on her role as needed. A contented smile slipped across her small pink lips as she munched away at her biscotti.[color=00a99d] “Fo'sho.”[/color]