Maria didn't want to. She was still too much spun up about stuff in general. Her renewed "emotions". Her now perfect sync. High command pushing for Elora and Serah's execution. It just kept her tensed up.

But now, she was walking with Jake towards the area were Ariin was throwing a party for his aniversary with Paladin. Normally, Maria would have thought such a thing weird but considering the circumstances, she thought better of it.

After all, it was because of the device she had that allowed Paladin to use Ariin's bionic eye to actually communicate with everyone last she heard.

As she walked, she noted that Jake didn't really wear anything fancy. Just his default getup with his headphones around his neck right now. Maria, on the other hand, still liked to dress up. Usually with different clothing so, she decided to wear something she thought she'd never wear.

While she was also casual in jeans, sneakers and a blue t-shirt, it was the black jacket she was wearing that stood out somewhat. It looked worn as if it had been used for a long time.

But it was the angel wings printed on the back that made it stand out more...

"...let me guess...that jacket-", Jake began but Maria finished.

"Yeah...it belonged to my mom", Maria said.

Jake didn't say anything else about it but then said, "I'm glad your going to this. I know your still concerned about Serah and Elora but we all did what we could. Now, we just hope Elise's contact can use the evidence I submitted to get high command to back off."

"I know...I'm just...still not used to social events such as these", Maria then responded.

As they walked, both did pass by Elizabeth as she was returning to her quarters. Maria did make eye contact with her but it seemed that she wasn't interested in her at the moment. In fact, it looked liked she was trying to find someone else.

"...she's in a hurry", Jake muttered.

"...and sooner or later, I have to break the ice with her and the other new pilots", Maria said.

"...it sounds like you have a history with her", Jake then asks.

"When I was "Seven" back when the Helldivers were active, I was assigned to bodyguard duties for her family company and framework testing...short story, she and I didn't get along", Maria then said.

Jake merely nodded at that.

Not too long after that, they arrived in the party area. Maria looked around and saw thing were lively there already.

"I'm going to hit the music stand. I can play DJ better than anyone", Jake said.

"I don't doubt that at all...I'll trying to mingle as best I can", Maria then responded.

Going their seperate ways, Maria then noted Ariin...but then another caught her eye...a girl in a weird mask with what looked liked some cybernetics all over said mask.

Walking up to the woman, she then knew who it was somehow.

"...Elora?", Maria asks.