[h2][center][b][color=00aeef]Serah[/color] & [color=0076a3]Jason[/color][/b][/center][/h2]
Serah had slipped out of a rather... rowdy crowd, even long after the ceremony was over. She was adored and praised like some kind of saviour to the people, even though the girl herself didn't feel like she did much of anything. She'd mainly acted recklessly and went with the first ideas that came to mind, so the medal that was temporarily hanging from the left side of her chest didn't feel very deserved. She didn't bother to change into anything special for the ceremony, it's not like she had a dress or anythign anyway, so she was still in her regular attire. The girl found herself wandering the hallways of the base, whistling idly without a soul in sight. She happened to walk into the hangar, where a tune she didn't recognize played... or, at least not directly. Judging from the instruments coming from it, it sounded like an almost ancient rockband... or at least, ancient by this point in time. She was a little curious why old music like that was playing, so Serah snooped around for a bit.

As the sounds drew closer, she found herself in a section of the hangar she hadn't been to before... because she didn't have a reason to. AA-XOTRY was stationed in the more frontal parts, so the spaces in the back weren't something Serah felt a particular need to investigate. The source was the spot occupied by a framewerk she didn't recognize, the music so loud it could blast your ears off. Someone seemed to be on top of the oversized chunk of steel, engrossed in polishing and fixing up any damaged parts. The framewerk was a mixture of grays and blues with a large cannon at the top. Serah recalled the voice of a stranger over the communications, saying they were reinforcements. Maybe that was the guy? Still, even if the person was that stranger, the music was so loud and they were so high up that it'd be hard to grab the boy's attention...

So, naturally, the small girl did the one thing that [i]would[/i] get that person's attention. They were standing on a maintenance ladder, operated by two sets of controls. One of them was on the platform that was raised, and the other was down all the way where Serah was. The girl happilly skipped over and pressed the buttons for it to go right, left, up and all around. The platform shook a little, causing whoever was standing on top of it to lose grip of a wrench which clattered to the ground right next to Serah. It barely missed out on her head, making for three near-death experiences.

Jason, who had been hard at work restoring X-7 after the little damage it took, didn't notice anybody enter. Instead, the boy had been focusing on his framewerk, occasionally talking to it as he noticed certain connectors being slightly out of place. Just as he was finishing up near the top, getting ready to check on X-7's legs and ankles after the impact, he felt the ladder he was on suddenly shake. The boy cursed loudly, losing his grip on the wrench as it fell towards the ground. With one hand gripping the ladder, he clicked a remote and paused the music. He then slid his way back down the ladder, toward the girl who had been playing with the controls.

His face very clearly displayed the anger he felt inside and Jason quickly snapped at her. [color=0076a3][b]"What the [i]hell[/i] do you think you were doing? Are you out of your mind?"[/b][/color] he growled towards her, annoyed at her stupidty. [color=0076a3][b]"Any idea what happens to somebody when they fall off a ladder 'cause somebody was shaking it from that height? Hm? What if I had been working on, oh I don't know, the giant railgun? [i]Don't ever, play with the ladder while somebody is on it.[/i]"[/b][/color] he growled. Jason then turned away from her as he went to look up at X-7. A few moments later, he would turn back, looking at her, much calmer this time around while crossing his arms and studying the girl. [color=0076a3][b]"Sorry. Been a bit stressed, something I can help you with?"[/b][/color]

Serah was patient with Jason, listening to the entirety of his angry scolding without skipping a beat, or even blinking for that matter. [color=00aeef]"I'm a little out of my mind, yeah!"[/color] Her answer was energetic and cheery, but she did take a step back as Jason was a little too close for comfort. Then, she continued. [color=00aeef]"Don't worry about it! If you'd have fallen, I'd have caught you. You weren't working on any weapons either, and the frames are deactivated anyway. You're a-okay with me around!"[/color] Serah had a big, dumb grin on her face and seemed to be completely serious with her answers. She then stared intensively at Jason, almost in reply to his own inspecting gaze.

[color=00aeef]"I'm not [i]that[/i] cute, you know. But I dooooo recognize your voice... Pilot Diablo, or something, right?"[/color] Serah closed her eyes and gave a quick bow. [color=00aeef]"Cadet Serah Gene, pleasure to meet you!"[/color]

Her small, deep blue eyes looked back up to Jason. He seemed to be about Roger's age, which slightly dissapointed her. Every other guy was older than her... not to mention, there weren't any girls as old as her either. The hopes of sharing teenage drama were diminishing by the second. Still, she kept up her peppy act and asked: [color=00aeef]"So you're the new pilot, right? Riiiiight?"[/color] The girl's eyes sparkled with curiosity, staring intensely at Jason to pry the answer out of him.

A small sigh escaped the boy as he studied the girl. She was cute, no lying there, but seemed a bit younger than him... around 16, if he had to guess. [color=0076a3][b]"They may be deactivated, but if I were working on the railgun's core, I'd have to give it a bit of power in order to keep it stable. I fuck up there, and it would kill me outright. Anyways..."[/b][/color] he said before giving her a polite bow. 

[color=0076a3][b]"Cadet Jason Diabolus. Yes, I am the new pilot. It is a pleasure to meet you."[/b][/color] he said, tossing on a small grin.

Serah was right! ...or at least partially. She botched up the name, but was spot-on with the deduction he was the new recruit. [color=00aeef][i]"Score one for me,"[/i][/color] she briefly thought before looking over to the speakers in the back of the room. [color=00aeef]"Hey, what was that music just now? It's not from any of the groups I recognize, not to mention it sounds like it's reeeaaally old."[/color] As the girl asked her question, she went over to said speakers and crouched down in front of them. They were small and compact, yet still produced a lot of volume. It was painted a rather boring silver, but that was the default color. A small musical note was inscribed on the bottom. [color=00aeef]"This, on the other hand, is pretty modern... Newest model from the Musicia company, right?"[/color] Serah looked back as she interrogated answers out of Jason. She seemed pretty interested.

Whatever annoyance he had previously evaporated into pity for the girl when she said she didn't recgonize the music. The poor girl hadn't been educated in the classics, which was a terrible thing in and of itself. [color=0076a3][b]"Yeah, newest model. Had some money before the battle, picked them up. As for the music, that's the classics. AC/DC. Classic rock from a long time ago, but still great music. A true shame you haven't heard of them,"[/b][/color] he said, trying to seem friendly enough. Sure, he was still annoyed, but the boy didn't want to create any rifts with his newfound comrades. Not to mention, she was a bit... he wasn't sure how to phrase it. But she was hard to stay mad at, that much was for sure. [color=0076a3][b]"So, if you don't know any of the classics, then who do you listen to?"[/b][/color] he asked.

Serah thought a bit about the group Jason mentioned. [color=00aeef]"I see dee see, huh..? Yeah... I think someone might've told me about them a while ago..."[/color] She tried her hardest to think back on it, but it'd been years. Ever since she got ripped away from the orphanage, Serah didn't exactly have time to keep track of everyone else's music styles.

She did get pretty excited when Jason asked [i]her[/i] what she listened to, though. [color=00aeef]"Oh! I'm a very M-Poppy girl! You know, modern pop? I'm especially a big fan of the Utau group! Have you heard of them? They were nearly idolized back where I came from! Aaah, that sweet voice with those energetic melodies..."[/color] Serah started to drift off into fantasy land, thinking of the newest singles that had supposedly been set to release a week from now. She definitely had to get her hands on those.

She caught herself drifting off, though, and quickly snapped out of it. [color=00aeef]"...Oops!"[/color] She bonked herself on the head, shook it and looked back to Jason's speakers. [color=00aeef]"Wow... I can't believe I'm so lucky! Someone else who's into music... I never thought I'd get that chance!"[/color] Serah looked back to Jason and hopped over to him. [color=00aeef]"Hey, hey! Let me listen to some of those songs some time! I don't know much about the older generations, but I'm eager to learn!"[/color] The girl had her hands clasped together in her plea, looking up to Jason with eyes as pure as a small puppy's.

A small laugh came from the boy as she spoke about the music. So he had found another music lover, just with slightly different tastes. [color=0076a3][b]"Can't say I am a huge fan of pop. Mostly classic rock, and hard rock. As far as listening to the music sometime, sure. I don't mind much at all."[/b][/color] he said, his forced smile from before becoming a bit more genuine as he spoke. [color=0076a3][b]"So, Miss Gene, which one of these werks is yours?"[/b][/color] he asked, gesturing at the massive machines in the hangar. As he spoke, the boy moved over to lean against X-7's leg and waited for a response from the girl.

As Jason moved over to lean against his framewerk, Serah grabbed his hand. [color=00aeef]"Nope, you're not getting away that easily! C'mon, I'll show you!"[/color] She tugged once, pretty forcefully. Then she started to dash off into the long corridor, Jason in tow. AA-XOTRY was stationed at the front, and so it took them a bit of running to get there. When they arrived, Jason was greeted with the sight of melted armor and a broken chest. Serah's framewerk took quite a beating in the fight, but the general gist of it was still clear as day. With the way its wing was melted to the unarmed fist, they looked a little knightly even without the unlit sword.

[color=00aeef]"This is my best friend, Atty!"[/color] Serah let Jason go and turned on her heel, her smile the biggest it's ever been. [color=00aeef]"I know they're a little beat up right now, but... we went through a lot. I... wouldn't trade them in for the world, though! We're the ultimate team!"[/color] She spoke full of pride and confidence in her Atty, looking away from her fellow cadet again and up at the hulking machine. While her face was out of Jason's sight, her smile began to wane and her eyes started to close a little. [color=00aeef]"It's... a bit of my fault they're like this, but I'm sure they'll pull through! They've... always pulled through."[/color]

Serah took a deep breath and faced Jason again, spinning around like a teacup attraction at the amusement parks. Any sign of how hurt she was had been completely wiped off of her face again. [color=00aeef]"Sorry, got a bit sentimental there! What do you think? Atty's really cool, right?"[/color]

Before Jason could say much of anything, he was being dragged down the way by Serah. As he stopped in front of the machine which had taken quite a beating, Jason raised an eyebrow. Before he could say anything, Serah's attitude seemed to change a slight bit as she stared at her framewerk. Only an idiot wouldn't notice the change in tone. The boy wanted to say something, as he didn't like seeing others in pain or feeling upset in general, but then suddenly Serah was back to her normal self. [color=0076a3][b]"It's quite alright. I can get that way when talking about Ribasu. Atty seems like they've taken a hit, but I am sure they'll pull through. What sort of things can they do?"[/b][/color] he said, hoping to keep the girl more cheerful at the moment. 

Serah nodded at Jason's questions. [color=00aeef]"I guess you wouldn't know, huh? They're a front-line fighter, classic sword style! The armor's light, but that's so I can zip around the battlefield no problem. All the protection we need is in our wings, anway! They can detach and be used as floating shield, taking most of the fire for us. The sword's made of plasma, and can even fire some of it if the enemy is further away or tries to flee! It's maybe a bit dangerous, but we've proven we can do it once already!"[/color] Serah's spirits certainly were lifted after Jason asked about Atty, she seemed to really enjoy talking about them.

So it seemed she was in a bit of a better mood, which made Jason feel a bit better. [color=0076a3][b]"Ah, nice. Atty seems like they're a fearsome fighter. Probably a great friend to you as well. The real question, however, is whether or not Atty can fly. Can't tell me you got wings but don't fly?"[/b][/color] he said, now curious about why the mech even had wings. It didn't seem overly efficient to him, but whatever. The boy wasn't the manufacturer or pilot of the frame.

Serah held out her hands and waved them from side to side, almost in a panic. [color=00aeef]"Oh, no, no! The wings aren't for flying at all! They're just the shields, the way Atty flies list in the thrusters installed all around it's body. Yeah, it's not as stylish as a pair of wings, but that's not the point. We're meant to quickly move around and be able to protect ourselves on the run, so something that can move freely helps a ton! Especially when you have two of them!"[/color] She calmed down soon enough, looking around the room. She found a small piece of cardboard to help her illustrate. She ripped it up in two, placing one in front of her chest and letting the other piece lean against her ankles.  [color=00aeef]"See? If they were in this formation, I'd be protected from most frontal assaults. If I moved the one on my side to my back, you'd have to catch me from the side."[/color] After the explanation, she placed the two pieces of cardboard back where she found them. Hopefully those weren't important for something.

[color=0076a3][b]"Mobile shields. Interesting. Ribasu just has a lot of armor. Can't hurt me if they can't break the armor. Still, would be pretty cool if the wings worked to fly. Kind of like an angel in battle."[/b][/color] he said, allowing himself a moment to laugh slightly. [color=0076a3][b]"Suppose that means the angel is elsewhere in that mech..."[/b][/color] he said and cast a brief look at Serah.

[color=00aeef]"...Eh. Eh? ...EEEEEH?!"[/color] Serah got really flustered and red for a moment from the sudden compliment, shaking her head violently alongside her hands. [color=00aeef]"Nono- I'm not- You're wro- I- Uh! Aaaah..."[/color] She pinched her own cheeks and coughed twice to regain her composure, eyes shifting left to right. [color=00aeef]"U-Uh... Uhm... S-So, you mentioned something about a 'Ribasu'? Was that the framewerk you were, eh, working on earlier? R-Return the favor, tell me about them!"[/color] Serah was desparate to change the topic, stuttering quite a bit due to how embarrassed she was. She was [i]not[/i] used to being called an angel.

Jason smiled when she got all flustered as it was, quite honestly, adorable. [color=0076a3][b]"You may think you aren't, but... you're probably wrong."[/b][/color] he said before returning the favor of earlier and grabbing her hand to drag her back down the hall without much a chance to react. Payback was only fair, after all. The pair stopped in front of the behemoth of a werk which was Ribasu, with Jason stepping in front of her and gesturing towards the werk. [color=0076a3][b]"Serah Gene, meet X-7, codename: Ribasu no Hono. Ribasu, be nice to the lady and say hi."[/b][/color] the boy said with a huge smile. When the machine said nothing, he simply knocked on its leg before addressing Serah. [color=0076a3][b]"Ah, Ribasu is just shy. Anyways, Ribasu here is a Heavy class framewerk. My own little fortress on the battlefield. We are not particularly fast, but we make up for it. Ribasu boasts heavy armor which is designed to take quite the punishment."[/b][/color] He said before moving towards the Werk's right foot.

[color=0076a3][b]"But we aren't one trick magicians, no Ma'am. Ribasu here is outfitted to take a punch, then give it right back to enemy tenfold. Up on top of the mech you'll see our main armament; the 'Moonbreaker' Railgun. This beast, when charged up, has the power to punch through small moons. Either that, or really pesky Cruxi with their armor. With the slugs travelling at extremely high velocity I'd argue it is a bit like a finger of God reaching out to obliterate the enemy. Ribasu's railgun fires three kinds of slugs: your standard railgun shot, an AP shot meant to ruin a battleship's day and our final one being an explosive shot that goes off and has a massive area of effect. Great for clearing out groups of enemies with brutal efficency."[/b][/color] he said before slapping what appeared to be a small heaxgonal flap on the shin.

[color=0076a3][b]"There are a hundred ports, just like this one, all over Ribasu's body. Inside they carry self-defense missiles. It's good in the case that somebody gets in close, or if you really want to make sure something is dead."[/b][/color] he said before hopping down and approaching Serah once more, a stupid smile still on his face. Obvious that he cared and loved the Werk deeply. [color=0076a3][b]"Ribasu is the only family I have left. His codename, which translates from Japanese to be Flame of Rebirth, is quite personal to me. He's both my fortress and brother in arms. Couldn't ask for anything better."[/b][/color] he said, his grin fading slightly before coming back as he seemed to get his composure back. 

Serah's head was spinning from the mad dash and the sudden influx of information, mirrored by her eyes spinning around in their sockets as if they'd witnessed the true terror of a high-speed rollercoaster. She snapped back to reality once Jason started talking about the meaning behind X-7's codename, and softly muttered [color=00aeef]"You too, huh..."[/color] under her breath as a reply. She took a few steps towards the giant behemoth, inspecting it. [color=00aeef]"So, we're kind of the opposite, huh? I move around and really dig into them, and you stay in the back laying on the hurt..."[/color] Serah trailed off, putting her hands inside the pockets of her vest.

She didn't turn around like usual, but instead looked back over her shoulder to Jason. [color=00aeef]"...Yet, we're similar in how we think of them, huh? ...I... think that's kind of cool, honestly."[/color] She was a lot less cheery than before, shifting into a more awkward tone of voice as if she was embarrassed to say it. A small laugh escaped Serah, looking back at Ribasu.

[color=00aeef]"...Well, I like them a lot!"[/color] The girl spoke with confidence again, turning around and bowing for Jason again. [color=00aeef]"I'll be relying on you in the future!"[/color] She raised her head, the smile on her face being more modest than it was before. It also felt a lot more real compared to any other smile she'd shown so far, as if a bit of how she really felt about everything was starting to leak out.

When Serah mentioned relying on him in the future, Jason felt a bit awkward. The Doom squad had relied upon him, yet he had gotten the whole thing killed. Hopefully, he wouldn't be doing that to this group. After all, Serah did seem like a person he could grow close to, as if she understood a little bit about him. He'd hate to see her hurt, or dead. He didn't need another name added to the list. But... seeing her smile, and the way it seemed genuine, brought Jason back to reality. [color=0076a3][b]"Well, then, I hope I will not disappoint. Anyways, I am a bit... hungry. What do you say we go get something to eat?"[/b][/color] he asked the girl, a kind expression on his features.

Serah nodded, her goofiness returning to her in the blink of an eye. On cue, her stomach started to growl alongside Jason's. [color=00aeef]"Totally! Whoever gets there last pays for the food, though!"[/color] Before Jason could give an answer, Serah dashed off down the halls.

[color=0076a3][b]"See ya later, Ribasu."[/b][/color] the boy said before racing off after Serah. He might as well enjoy himself while he could. [color=0076a3][b]"No way you're gonna win!"[/b][/color] he called after her as they ran.