One Mean Ghost
Your Ghost Host from the West Coast
Dante de la Cruz
Dante couldn't help a chuckle at Shift's comments about being a cook. Maybe this guy was alright after all, if he could take a ribbing like that and still laugh it off. That was a definite plus. He was starting to think soldier boy had stick shoved up his ass before now...
He blinked as he felt another hand close on his and pull him into a huddle. Staying quiet, he listened to what Kary had to say. For several moments, he just stared silently at her when she finished, his expression unreadable. Truth be told, he was doing something highly unusual for himself: he was thinking about what he was going to say before he just let unfiltered words come spilling forth from his maw.
After several seconds of rather awkward silence, a cocky smirk spread over his lips. "Well then, I guess we just gotta be sure we don't fail then, don't we?" He said matter o' factly as he stretched his arms over his head before resting his palms behind his head. It wasn't Shakespeare, but at least he thought it out...
"Oh, and for the record, I know all about how Basic Training works. My brother is a Master Sergeant in the Marines, after all, and he's told me plenty of stories about it. What I was trying to say is just because someone learns how to do all that stuff, doesn't necessarily mean they're any good at it, or that they can perform under pressure." He shrugged his shoulders as he looked from one to the other. "Something my brother told me, 'You never know how a soldier will actually perform under fire until it happens.' So, really, I just don't think it's smart to ask someone to lead without knowing how they'll react when shit hits the fan, or to just blindly follow someone that's untested, soldier or not" He remarked crossing his arms over his chest.
Sure, he probably had a rather poor first impression. Odds are, they didn't think much of him given how he blew up the day before. However, one didn't stay alive long as a vigilante without a little bit of brains, even if the boy did lack a filter most of the time. He said what he was thinking, for better or for worse. He seemed to be thinking, though, like he was debating whether or not to tell them something. With a sigh, he decided to go for it.
"I'm not just talking out my ass. I'm talking from experience. My first day as a vigilante I almost died because, among other reasons, I got tunnel vision under fire, and I made mistakes. I've had three years and several missions since then to adjust and fix how I handle myself when the chips are down. I haven't had any issues like that since. Maybe you two are in the same boat and figured out how to handle pressure, maybe you two are some of the rare few that just handle it right the first time, or maybe you won't handle it well at all. I have no way of knowing until I see it firsthand. That's not a knock on the two of you, so don't think it is" Dante remarked turning away from them after this rare moment of humility. Why did he feel the need to tell them that? He doubted even Agent Love had that kind of knowledge in her reports, given there weren't any witnesses who survived to talk about that first mission. Maybe Kary revealing that bit about herself made him feel obligated to open up, or maybe he just was trying to actually show he was willing to work as a team. Tough to say, given he didn't really know himself why he said it...
"Like you said... nothing we say leaves this room...." He added quietly.