[center][img=http://i59.tinypic.com/szzdwm.jpg][/center]

“Hmmhmm, I got them, don’t worry!” Est chimed in as they were escorted inside the equipment room, “ah, the smell of sweat, distrust and broken friendships with a hint of tears. No wonder this place is one of my favorites! Naw, just kidding. The cheese place is still my number one!” The soldier placed his hands on his hips and laughed cheerfully, seemingly oblivious to the deadly sheen of the weapons laid out on the nearby table. That or he was just so used to seeing them that they were really easy to ignore.

Oh wait, they were splitting into teams? Here he thought all of them were going to fight random players. Well, he didn’t really mind since it was fun either way… “Cool, I have Lady Luck with me! I’m sure to win!” Est affectionately patted the merchant’s hand and faced the humans, most of whom were looking around while waiting for either of them to state the rules. When Breeze walked away to help Leila, it was him who gestured to the table and began to explain.

But yeah, Breeze decided it was a good time to wear the armor and demonstrated how to strap it on with him as the model. He didn’t have an issue with that, but he almost nearly twisted in place when she told him to lift a leg. “Yeah, we come here for training and friendly matches! Great way to build camaraderie or rivalries!” Est’s voice was muffled and slightly huffy thanks to the mask that protected his entire head, and he turned towards the group to give them a thumbs up. “Hey, you should be able to move comfortably in the armor, okay? Don’t wear it if it hurts your armpit, trust me. My first day I did that because I was late for drills and didn’t have time to choose another set… I had sores for a week.”

Just then, a couple of other soldiers entered the room.

“Hey Aidan, hey Lizbeth. We [i]are[/i] on guide duty. The best guide duty ever! I’m so happy they’re not snooty little worms,” Est waved back at the nobody who wore his trademark red armor and then nodded at his partner. They were pretty good too, and Lizbeth consistently earned places within the top ten during gunnery exams. 

[i]“Let's give private Berit and Mrs. Berit a run for their money, yeah?"[/i]

“Hella yeah, me and Mrs. Ber-! Wait… Gwaah!” It was amusing to see the tall soldier stagger back and then try to regain his balance. One can only guess at the color of his face underneath the smooth blue helm. “Ohhh, you’re on, Aidan! I’m gonna stomp on you!” Est raised his fist in the air and shook it at the energetic soldier, with the casual drawl in his voice gone and replaced with something far more rushed. “Yes, what he said. Don’t worry, if your health reaches zero, the vest will trigger a protective barrier that will protect you from all hostiles as you make your way out of the arena. Now c’mon, we got a bug to squash!” The soldier let out a semblance of a war cry and rushed after Aidan and Lizbeth.
He returned a few minutes later, apparently having forgotten to pick a gun. Est promptly chose a long, sleek weapon that was obviously meant for long-distance to mid-range firing. “Ei, c’mon! Just pick whose side you’re on and go after me!” He waved at them and ran out of the equipment room, through a wide metallic hallway that no doubt led to the starting stage.