"Oh, you have me completely mistaken, love~ That's just my way of having fun! Honestly, I don't think I could stand anyone if they didn't have some backbone~ The names Kessler Brigs, explosives expert and I love blowing the fuck out of those i'm charged to kill! Or just those I like to kill in general~ You might think me unstable and some sort of psychopathic mess, but you don't understand! I'm not psychopathic, i'm just really really really tolerable of violence! I don't cackle like some cheesy villain from a murder novel, i laugh with joy, dance with merriment, and honestly, sister, i'm glad you don't wither like the rest~."
The mentalcase chirped after a small pause, grinning his broad grin.
People who aren’t psychopathic don’t usually feel the need to say ‘I’m not psychopathic’ Chantrea mussed inwardly.
This ‘Kesseler’ was an interesting specimen. Once-upon-a-time he might have made the young woman want to try and find a way out of the conversation, and far away from him, as quickly as she possibly could, but the current Chantrea’s interest was at least slightly aroused.
"Sho... Pleash, if ish pleashes you, keep inshulting! In reality it givesh me sh horn!" he mumbled through mouthfuls of bacon, bubbly as ever.
Dinner and a movie first, mate!
"I make my own explosives you know,” he declared, in a manner that made Chantrea wonder if he was trying to show off to her “and it would please me greatly if you and I blew up a cunt together. I don't hate you girl, I love everyone I insult, I belittle the ones i'd love to please, it's just my little... tune I play. The ones I hate I carve out their insides, stick an explosive in them, then dance to the songs of merry while they explode!”
Chantrea liked the crude sharpness behind his words, and the in-your-face boastfulness that seemed to be more than just tall talk, given the bold assuredness with which the mopheaded mentalcase spoke. It was, however, entirely possible that he was all talk, and that Kesseler would be the one hiding behind cover and crying for Mummy when the bullets started flying, so she’d have to be sure not to pick favourites, or invest too heavily in any one person, until they’d all been given a chance to prove themselves.
“Though cutting up defenseless people sounds so fun, I'd rather garnish myself with a challenge. The master won't appriciate such a scumbag like me unless I can prove that i'm more than boot licking material! Yes, I like to kill, murder, whatever, yadda-yadda, but i'm not weak~ I'll prove that to you. You have some talent yourself, why else could you handle such despair? So, i'm going to prove on this mission that i'm strong. And then after that... well, a surprise I guess~"
He tittered merrily, slurping up the rest of his meal.
Chantrea let his words hang on the air for a moment, shovelling down another forkful of macaroni and cheese, before taking a hearty swig from her chocolate milkshake, licking some of the residue off of her plump lips.
“Well, Kessler Briggs, I’m sure you’ll get your chance to fuck shit up and prove yourself to the ‘master’ soon enough.” The young woman said, choosing her words carefully. This could all just be some trick to get me to drop my guard before likening me to another set of barnyard animals or something equally ‘witty’ .
“As for giving you ‘horn’; there’s a whole load of assorted smut out there on the internet, and the Sanctum doesn’t have the usual law-abiding content filters up, so feel free to go shake your prick at a hologram instead of trying to get your jollies off of other students.” She offered up calmly.
“You’ve done the smart thing and associated yourself with the only person here who ‘as got any experience, and I commend you for it, but if you want to stay on my good side the dial back on the ribbing a smidge. Banta is fine, but don’t push it too far, sweetheart.” The faintest hint of a smile crept across the corner of her mouth, as she guzzled down more hot food.
"But you are already weak. Your hubris. You show it through your insults. You think you're cocky and the best. That will be your downfall." A voice called out to Kessler.
Chantrea cocked her head. The dark haired heckler from earlier had snuck up on her, and was now sitting in the seat next to her.
"I wanted to apologize for my behavior earlier, though I do believe that we deserve a better explanation than the one you gave us. I am willing to start over if you are." She paused, clearing her throat “My name is Staci Jamerson, but you will only call me Shadow. That is my middle name and it is the name that I go by."
Chantrea considered this for a moment. Her natural instinct would be to partner up with Kessler and fire verbal abuse at ‘Shadow’ until she got up and left or hit one of them (the latter seeming more likely), but the cogs that kept her entrepreneurial brain ticking starter whirring, and helped her realize that it was smarter to form a relationship built upon mutual respect than hatred.
"And just for reference, I was--am a thief. I consider that a pretty good job myself, considering the fact I was the best."
Fucking jackpot .
Killing was second nature to Chantrea, but her heart was in stolen goods. Once this assassination business had cleared up, she was looking forwards to a life of wealth and splendour, and a partner like Shadow was a more than valuable asset, assuming she was more than just talk.
“Apology accepted.” Chantrea said warmly, popping a small doughnut into her mouth, before washing it down with some chocolate milkshake “Don’t take it personally, I didn’t want to be giving the speech any more than any of you wanted to listen to it.” She confessed with a smirk.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Shadow.” She remarked, respecting the girl’s wish to be referred to by her middle name.
“I’ll stick to ‘Tas’ for now, but if we make it out of Paris alive then we can get more familiar.” She said with a sharp laugh.
Just then, the mechanical doors of the dining hall came sliding open, and humongous dark figure in body armour came striding into the room, flanked by two smaller figures in similar armour.
“I’d finish this up soon, kiddos,” Chantrea said darkly “I think we’re in for a speech.”