Learn what you can from the beasts you defeat; you'll need it for some of the people you meet

[paid_in_flesh]

[It's entirely possible that you've noticed a new presence in the CMA today.

Don't worry; he's not being overly conspicuous, and he won't mind if you haven't noticed. He's been staying on the outskirts, anyway - leaning against a tree, actually, standing with his left arm braced high against it and his legs crossed casually at the ankle. He'll

Comments

[cursedandalone]

[Red will meet that gaze.

And staaaaaare at you. He hasn't seen a Rocket in years, due to being possessed when he took them down.]

[paid_in_flesh]

[Well, hello, kid.

If Proton recognizes you at all, it's not going to be obvious from his expression; he tips his head toward the arm braced against that tree, resting it lightly against that forearm, back near the crook of his elbow. The gesture is a casual one. Relaxed. That smile hasn't flickered any, either.

He'll just repeat that gesture with his free hand. He doesn't feel like yelling across any sort of distance at you.]

[cursedandalone]

[Wandering over, he knows what to do if anything turns rotten: Bring out Pikachu and shock someone to unconsciousness.

But he's not going to start the conversation. Oh no, you beckon to him, obvbiously you have something to say to him. Waiting expectantly.]

[paid_in_flesh]

[There's a good kid. He lifts his head again, that oddly attentive look still fixed firmly in his gaze, and though he'll be shifting his arm a bit; he'll just be tracing his fingertips lightly along the handle of that blade, though he doesn't move to do anything with it, and that smile is still there.]

I don't suppose you know anything about this place, do you?

[of_the_land]

...Well, now. There's a familiar face.

[paid_in_flesh]

[Likewise.

As with all of those he's gestured over, he's been watching you, Giovanni. And now that he's verified...well. The gesture is more fluid than abrupt, but he straightens up in short order, pushing away from that tree that he's been using for support and tightening his stance into something decidedly less casual. The bow he offers is deep, from the waist, though he keeps it brief; when he straightens up, that smile has sidled a bit closer to genuine.]

Sir.

[of_the_land]

[He gives a slight dismissive wave; now that Proton's gone through the formalities, he doesn't mind if he relaxes a bit.]

Have you just arrived, Proton?

[paid_in_flesh]

[He's fine with that; he doesn't go back to leaning against that tree, but his stance does relax considerably.

...he's honestly a bit too pleased to go back to reclining like that anyway. Shocked as hell, of course, but it's a pleasant sort of shock.]

I have, sir - a bit...unexpectedly, let's say. Though I believe it will have been for the better, in the end. Is this...?

[There are a lot of ways that could end, really, though the intended one is where you've been - it's just. more than a bit weird to outright ask that.]

[girlsnotsoul]

[Oh don't worry, Kotone's noticed. The uniform, that unmistakable red R, the knife in the tree. The thing is, she's not in the CMA. She wasn't beckoned over. She was also on the outskirts... and was sitting in a lower branch of a nearby tree.

She will say hello, however. It comes in the form of her ever-familiar cackling, choosing to swing down from the branch by her legs, hanging upside-down.]

[paid_in_flesh]

[Well, well. That almost got a startle out of him, Kotone, well-done. At the same time, the cackling announced your presence well enough in advance - if anything caught him off-guard, it was that sudden noise - though that smile is back at the sight of that rather...familiar insignia.]

And what's this? One of ours, from the look of it.

[girlsnotsoul]

[One of ours, did he say? Well that confirms that this Proton's a double. But that's neither here or there at this moment in time.

She swings herself back upright and pushes herself out of the tree, landing pretty decently. From there she's quick to give a proper, genuine salute, albeit with head tilted.]

Always loyal to the cause, Executive Proton, sir.

[paid_in_flesh]

[In the end, Proton isn't too hard to get along with among the ranks. He doesn't demand perfect respect; say or do what you want, really, as long as work gets done. Do your work, don't dick around when he orders you to do something, don't sass or disrespect him in front of the boss. All that needs to happen, really, once you've shown him that you can be respectful and take the orders to begin with instead of just being an irreverent little shit.

So this little display is perfect. Good girl. You get a bit of a flippant handwave at that - go ahead and relax.]

And who, exactly, do you belong to?

[paid_in_flesh]

[It's actually nice to see you right now, Archer, even if you're starting early with the joy-killing.]

Oh, indeed. Although really, the sudden shift in location is a bit jarring. Puts a bit of a damper on things.

Been here long?

[paid_in_flesh]

[Huh, that's. Odd.]

Surely you realize that I just saw you hours ago.

[rocketstothesun]

[Well, what a welcome, familiar face.]

Proton.

[paid_in_flesh]

[Mm, likewise.

He'll just be tipping his head down a bit to look at that blade handle, though he doesn't seem too inclined to remove it or actually...well, do anything with it. That smile is still there, though. Perhaps a bit less on the creepy side, a bit more on the actually-pleased side.]

Archer.

[rocketstothesun]

Did you just arrive?

[Call it experience, but getting Proton to do something he doesn't particularly want to can be an uphill battle, one that Archer has no desire to bother with, not when things can be done with him just walking over.]

[paid_in_flesh]

[You know him too well, Archer.]

Not more than two hours ago. Funny thing, really - I thought that the doors in the Radio Tower would lead to another place inside the tower itself.

Imagine my surprise.