And she would have gladly latched onto the chance for some banter. Anything to take her mind off the grim memories of loss and terror trying to crowd in, trying to sour her resolve to take an active role in repelling the Kaiju. There's a lot of pain hiding beneath her frivolous attitude, a lot of lingering anxiety. No one here, her included, wanted to die.

But no matter what, staying at home (what remained of home, that is) was simply not an option. She could barely live with herself as-is, let alone if she had to continue sitting back and doing nothing to help. To really help — to make a difference.

His "effort" yields raised brows and a disappointed noise. "Come on, is that the best you've got?" It would be fair to wonder just why she gave even a tenth of a damn. Almost as if Chelsea was aware of this, she continues with: "Piloting is a two-person job, you know. How are you gonna get along with your partner if you can't even smile like a normal person?"