[immediately at video's start, Bartolomeo is already lazily twirling something red and sequinned around one finger. Yes, that is in fact his red sequin speedo from the date auction. He's making sure everyone can see it now, even if he's not wearing it. Be grateful he's not wearing it.]

You know what takes all the wind right out of the sails of the best pranks? Nobody even reacting to it. Am I right, people who shittily signed their friends up for the auction only to have them not even show up? Yeah, you know who you are. Sucks, don't it? Nobody's even there to gasp and hide their face in their hands and go oh you're so terrible! why would you do that? Although I guess that means they weren't there to be embarrassed when nobody bid on them either, heh.

Pretty lame auction if you ask me. Handful of people using it as an excuse to pay for a date with a person they're too chicken to talk to like normal human beings. Hideous. Totally hideous. BUt what else do you expect from people? [and then he sits up sharply, leaning in close to the camera. Spoilers, one of his lackeys is filming it for him] But if I find out who put Namur's name in there, you can bet I'll be on their doorstep in five minutes to kick their ass. That was real shitty of you, whoever you are, and I got no problem teaching you some damn manners.

[sitting back again, abrupt mood change back to lazy! He draws the speedo back and snaps it at the camera like a rubber band]

Shame nobody got my performance on camera. That was pure gold, man.

( Private: Here Comes the Boom Bounty - February 4 )


[February 14 - Video]

[Gale was in a foul mood.

Maybe it was lingering feelings from the incidents with Orlok, or it was because he remembered that it was one of his sister's birthday recently. Or maybe was it the text with Ayame the previous night. Perhaps it was the complete and utter waste of time that was that "auction" - he didn't know. He's living his life in a rut, and he didn't like it. Alternating days between After Life and Hangar Queen, doing his work for Aster Tech in the back rooms, then dote on his dogs at home. The only thing that broke up the monotony were bounties, and even those were growing stale.

An antsy Gale was never a good Gale.

Allen was gone, which meant there wasn't anyone who knew who or what Kharon was. Kharon's original purpose was falling through, so he'd might as well make use of it to do things that Gale didn't want he, himself doing. Plus Gale didn't want to make stealing Eichhorn tech a complete waste of time, so he might as well make use of it more often.

So there's a blond guy with a massive scar on the right side of his face appearing on the video feed tonight, and he's decked out in some pretty fancy armor. He's sitting in a booth at Hangar Queen, his feet up on the table with one leg crossed over the other, holding a drink that happens to be on fire in his hand. And, thanks to that godsend of a voice changer that Allen supplied him with, he sounds absolutely nothing like Gale would.]

So what's the mercenary life like in this place? And I don't mean the boring ass bounties that any random schmuck can do. I mean actual mercenary work.

I'm askin' for a friend.