[center][img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/190711/87008b871fd60a65defb1b3dec454b29.png[/img][/center][right][hr][color=gray][b]Smith's Rest, New Anchorage | The NC Hangar[/b]
January 16th, 2677 (Before the New Pilots Arrive)[/color][hr][/right]
[indent][indent][indent][color=lightsteelblue][b]"Oh come on, that was funny, Eli,"[/b][/color] Percy insisted as she'd continued to be silent. He waited a second to see if she'd admit it, but she stayed quiet. [color=lightsteelblue][b]"At least [i]kinda[/i] funny. Just a little?"[/b][/color] Sure, he figures that it doesn't matter if anyone else thinks he's funny, but being the [i]only[/i] one laughing was really uncomfortable... and no, Zach laughing doesn't count. They've known each other for multiple years and have absolutely [i]demolished[/i] each other's senses of humor.

But then Eli insisted that what she had to say was important, that she had worries about these new pilots Graham was bringing in and how none of them were natives - none of those issues Percy really cared about, it didn't really affect how he'd operate. But then she'd said that [color=6ecff6][i]"One looks like a [b]raider.[/b]"[/i][/color] That was what made Percy's stomach go into a knot. He already didn't really like Graham all that much, but.. employing a raider? Employing the same kind of person that got Laura killed and tried to steal his daughter away? It made Percy want to barf. [i]Fuck[/i] Graham. He then saw how Eli's gaze shifted upwards to Zach and how her lips had tightened shut - like she didn't want to talk about it in front of him.

[color=6ecff6][i]"It could be something worth discussing with one another."[/i][/color]

Percy glanced up to Zach as well. While the guy seemed pretty preoccupied with the light, Percy knew that if the roles were swapped - with Zach being down [i]here[/i] and him being up [i]there[/i] - he'd [i]definitely[/i] be listening in..

[color=lightsteelblue][b]"Yeah,"[/b][/color] Percy said, [color=lightsteelblue][b]"Yeah, I'll be with you in a-"[/b][/color]

[color=indianred][b]"Go ahead, Pierce."[/b][/color]

Well. That confirmed two things. One, Zach absolutely was listening like Percy had guessed; and two, Zach would probably be fine on his own for a bit, if he was urging him to hurry up and go. Something about Zach's tone made Percy wonder again, though. He sounded.. Fed up? Irritated? Generally upset - which in this point in time would finally make sense. Of course he'd be upset about a potential raider being anywhere near Ana right now. Of course he'd be worried. Percy found himself reaching out to him, to nudge him enough to get him to look down and just give a little bit of reassurance, but Eli's eyes boring into the back of his neck made him [i]not[/i] do that.

[b][color=lightsteelblue]"Alright,"[/color][/b] Percy said, taking a small step backwards and throwing on a grin, [b][color=lightsteelblue]"Don't zap yourself, alright? Please?"[/color][/b]

[color=indianred][b]"Yeah. Sure."[/b][/color]

One more moment of hesitation, and then Percy [i]finally[/i] turned around and went off with Eli down the thoroughfare. The two only took a couple steps away before Percy got fidget-y with one of the two rings on his fingers, waiting for Eli to maybe start them off - he only had one worry on his mind, but he wanted to hear her out first. Like, maybe she had a good reason to believe these new pilots not being native was a bad thing? Honestly, the more he thought about it the more he realized that y'know, yeah, it might be bad that they're not from here. He didn't want Ana to be exposed to some kind of weird disease, or for her to get snatched up again, or so many other horror scenarios they kind of blended together, now- Ah, fuck, alright! Alright. If [i]she[/i] won't elaborate, then he'll give her something to elaborate [i]on.[/i]

[color=lightsteelblue][b]"Sooo,"[/b][/color] Percy started, twisting the silver band around his ring finger, [color=lightsteelblue][b]"uh.. what's this about a [i]raider,[/i] again?"[/b][/color][/indent][/indent][/indent]