[hr][hr][center][h1][color=f7941d]RYN[/color] & [color=khaki]JINGO[/color][/h1][b]MESS HALL, NEW ANCHORAGE[/b][/center]
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People in New Anchorage definitely knew how to give a girl a welcome and Ryn was beginning to feel a little bit of whiplash from the reactions she had gotten so far— almost to the point she coughed on her food in surprise.

The question shot at her by the tall and eccentric man was one that Ryn was honestly not expecting. Her height was about the average of her age and she didn’t look older than she actually was, so the prospect of being assumed to [i]not[/i] be a child at first glance was a little odd. But then again the people in New Anchorage definitely knew how to make her feel some sort of whiplash from the variously different reactions she had gotten thus far and the presumption that she was some sort of person with a height deficiency was pretty hilarious— so much so that she coughed on the food she had been eating in surprise. 

The orange-haired thirteen year old cleared her throat once it was apparent that she wasn’t going to choke on mashed vegetables and brown meat. As she looked up at the man before her she couldn’t help but think he was funny; and not just by the way he talked.

[color=f7941d]“Huh? I’m not that short for my age, just so you know.”[/color]

Jingo looked at her in turn for a moment, perplexed, the gears in his head grinding against each other painfully as he computed what he was hearing. 

[color=khaki]“Wha’ de ye mean ‘fer yer age’?”[/color] He asked, the meaning behind her statement flying over his head.

Either this guy was dim or he wasn’t thinking about the possibility that a teenager could be joining New Anchorage under any circumstances. Ryn let out a heavy sigh as she looked at him blankly before responding to him.

[color=f7941d]“Do you have volts for brains or something? It’s obvious that I’m a kid, so… duh.”[/color]

Pursing his lips, Jingo looked at the little girl that sat on the bench far below him, sticking his tongue out of the tear in the side of his face and biting it in thought. [color=khaki]“Are ye trying te play games with me, lass? Coz if so, e’m very amused.” [/color]

Ryn raised a brow— her experiences at New Anchorage were hardly consistently normal for her, even with the previous introductions she had to make at other places where she had been employed briefly. First there was Commander Graham who didn’t treat her one way or the other and just wanted to get on to business, then there was Percy Moore who condescended and belittled her whilst acting like a stuttering moron, and finally there was Vera who was closer to her age and was the most welcoming person thus far. And now there was this person and whatever this conversation was. The tonal shift was going to give her a migraine. Why did things have to be confusing? A light sigh exited her voice as she set down her fork on the metal tray that held her food.

[color=f7941d]“Nope.”[/color] She shook her head. [color=f7941d]“I’m a kid. Thirteen years old. You people up here are [i]weird[/i], do you know that? First I’m a kid and now I’m basically some kind of [i]shortstack[/i]; what the literal fuck?”[/color]

Jingo turned his head over his shoulder and spat, hitting Skitters straight in the muzzle, he winced for a moment, mouthing “sorry boy” before returning his attention to the little girl. The only girls Jingo had been use to were the little ones, Percy and Elizabeth’s children— they were pleasant, nice even, but this child was just odd. He plonked himself down in the seat in front of her, still dwarfing her, and scanned her face. 

[color=khaki]“Ye shud wa’ch yer language.”[/color]

[color=f7941d]“Why the fuck should I do that? I’ll speak how I [i]want[/i].”[/color]

[color=khaki][b]“Oi!”[/b][/color] He yelled out, loud enough so that everyone in the mess hall stopped for a moment and turned to look, [color=khaki][b]“Ye be’er watch yer mouf, or I'll break i’ for ye. We’re civilized folk, and we dun’ee swear all Willy nilly!” [/b][/color]

He looked at her with a mixture of anger and confusion, why was he even having this discussion?

Ryn’s lips turned into a scowl as he raised his voice and decided that it was a good idea to [i]threaten[/i] her. After Percy’s bullshit earlier she wasn’t going to stand for people telling her what she was going to do and it most certainly wasn’t in her character to be a scared little girl. If people wanted to fight she wasn’t going to back down; she never backed down. In response she acted on instinct as her hands curled into fists before she slammed them down without thinking.
 
[color=f7941d][b]“Then fucking break it for me, fuckface! I’m not going to sit down like I’m [i]scared[/i] of you! I am [i]not[/i] afraid to kick your ass right here! If you want to fight, let’s fucking fight!”[/b][/color]

Jingo glared at the little girl, his eyes burning with rage - he brought his fist down on the table just as she did, sending her plate and tray into the air and onto a heap behind her. He was finding it hard to keep a straight face and slowly his glare disintegrated into a half-assed attempt of holding back a laugh.

Something he couldn't quite do.

The man burst out laughing, clutching his gut with his prosthetic hand but quickly regretted it as he pricked himself. [color=khaki]“Ye shud ‘av seen te look on yer face!”[/color]

Ryn blinked in utter disbelief at Jingo’s reaction to her— was he making fun of the idea that she could kick his ass or was it that she was so quick to step up? Whichever the case, she wasn’t quite sure what had just happened and her nerves began to slowly cool due to the absurdity of the whole endeavor that had just happened and after a minute of stiff silence… she [i]chuckled.[/i]

[color=f7941d]“The fuck is wrong with you? You’re crazy.”[/color]

[color=khaki]“Aye, I'm crazy.”[/color] He said through dying chuckles, [color=khaki]“The name is John, though mos’ call me Jingo.” [/color]

Jingo patted the spot by his side and Skitters hopped up with no objections. [color=khaki]“And this ‘ere is Ski’ers, you'll see me in the Wessex. The li’le one with the machine guns.”[/color] 

[color=f7941d] “People who care to know me call me Ryn. I pilot the Phantasm. It’s like a normal NC but with sniper and artillery utility. It’s awesome.”[/color]

[color=khaki]“Yer the pilot of tha’ big, purple fucker?!”[/color] He exclaimed in bewilderment, [color=khaki]“She is an awesome craf’, tha’s fer sure.” Jingo extended his prosthetic, giving her a broad smile, “It's a pleasure te have ye Ryn.”[/color]

Ryn looked quizzically at the hand before carefully grabbing onto it with her hand. She didn’t want tetanus or something. [color=f7941d]“Yeah, you’re weird… but okay. I can deal with okay.”[/color]

[color=khaki]“Me sirname [i]Is[/i] Strange.”[/color]

Ryn nodded, managing another chuckle before she turned to the floor where the little food she had left was scattered before she casually placed her hands behind her head, a sigh leaving her lips. [color=f7941d] “I’m bored now.”[/color]

[color=khaki]“Wan’ee go shoo’ing?”[/color] He suggested, scratching Skitters metallic head.

[color=f7941d]“Thanks, but nah. I’m just gonna go on a walk. Later.”[/color]