Elora calmed down a bit once discussion between the pilots really went going, with varying opinions made on the mock battle's purpose. She was still scared, and she did hate the idea of hurting people, but for now she decided to try not to cry and be strong. If she was going to survive, she had to stand up on her own feet and face what was coming. The blonde boy whose name she did remember reading to be Romeo said they would be playing a game, and while Elora liked playing shooter games, this was definitely not one of them. This was real life, with real life consequences. She nodded in agreement to what Krista said, and smiled a bit. She seemed like the kind of girl she could be friends with. At least, that was what Elroa hoped. The other girl, Lora, on the other hand didn't agree, and said that they were only going to be tested for their Synchro Rates. Elora thought about it, but she couldn't figure out why a squad leader would be picked out simply by combat prowess. Still, she seemed like someone confident in her skills, and Elora wished she didn't have to face off against someone like her.

An abrasive boy spoke up, and Elora backed off a bit. He seemed like the type to bully her if given any incentive, and so Elora made sure not to make a sound while he was talking. She didn't like the way he talked about not being in each other's way and only caring about themselves, and she wasn't the only one; a stoic boy, Alexei, she remembered reading, called him out on his behavior, and Elora nodded before she realized she could offend the lone wolf. Her eyes stayed on Alexei even after he stopped speaking; Elora thought his words were inspiring, and wouldn't mind if he was promoted to squad leader, since he could value even someone like her who wasn't as fit for fighting as the others were.

A dark-haired boy spoke up, and Elora could tell he was trying to make a good first impression, but his words turned out a bit confusing. What did they have to agree on? What conclusion? Elora tried to follow, but she only got the gist of his speech: that they weren't as different as they thought they were, and that they should unite together in their fight against the Cruxi. Elora did agree, but there was something about the boy that was off, and she couldn't figure it out. Koehler, the tallest boy, also thought Alexei could be squad leader. He seemed really relaxed and calm about all this, and Elora wanted to know the secret to that, being the nervous wreck she was. Then again, he also seemed the type to pick on her if she tried to speak to him, so she quickly perished the thought. Ryan, another dark-haired boy, introduced himself, and at this point Elora honestly started to wonder if everyone really was okay with a free-for-all. She wanted to have someone, anyone, as an ally. Romeo threw out the idea that they weren't going to fight each other, and to that Elora had to respond. As much as she wanted to stay quiet, she felt she needed to voice her own opinions on what they should do, before it was too late.

[color=8dc73f]"Umm, th-the Lieutenant said that the mock b-battle would be among us, so..."[/color] She let out a gasp. [color=8dc73f]"I forgot to introduce myself, I'm so sorry! My name is, umm, E-Elora Liu'un, and the Framewerk I pilot, Diver, is bad at fighting alone. I think Miss Krista's idea is good, and that we, umm, could make teams. I'm willing to do it, if someone wants a teammate. I-If that's okay with you."[/color]

Elora's memories rushed back to the time she was in grade school, and every time teams were picked out on the playground, she would either be picked last, or forgotten about as the other kids started playing. This time however, it wasn't about dodgeball or soccer. It was about giant machines of death tearing each other apart. Elora realized at that moment how different the world she was currently in would be from her previous one.