"Come on, Chie, you've got to meet the others," said her father, with a good-natured smile.

The tiny blonde girl huffed and folded her arms across her slight chest. Of course, she couldn't be allowed to go on her own. Of course. Her father had to [i]escort[/i] her. It's not like that was embarrassing or anything... sure, she was ten years old, but she was going to pilot a mecha! A real mecha! Surely that meant she didn't need to go around with one of her parents guiding her, right? Her father sighed, and gently took her by the shoulder to guide her in. Chie could only resist so much, and she grumbled under her breath as she finally came in and started walking.

Chie entered the room first, her father nearly pushing her in by this point. "Hmph... are all these idiots the ones in the project, too? Do I [i]have[/i] to talk to them?"

Her father let out another sigh. Chie had been in a sour mood ever since it turned out her father would be escorting her all the way there. She had complained and been threatened with the removal of her new simulator, and finally told that this kind of attitude would possibly make the people in charge reconsider her position as a pilot. That had definitely been enough to make her agree to be escorted by a parent, as annoyed about it as she was.

"You can't talk to them like that," her father admonished, straightening behind her. Chie didn't respond, instead simply turning to look away. If her father wanted to escort her so badly, he could introduce her, too.

"... Fine," he said. "My name is Doctor Richard Alberton, and this is my daughter, Chie. She'll be a part of this team as well."

Chie spoke up, at this point. "The best part."

Her father sighed, feeling like he had been doing so many times this day. "They're qualified for this, just because you're skilled for your age doesn't mean you're better than anyone else."

"Hmph."