At first, Pepper didn't recognize the man. She was too alarmed that she'd lost her hat, and worried over the scroll's condition, to notice him at first! But then she felt his hand on her arm, steadying her before she could lose her footing, and once both feet were firmly on the ground, she whipped around to look at him--and, of course, had to look up when she found herself staring at his chest.
She had a hundred apologies on her tongue, for she was used to angry reactions and always prepared for those, but her eyes widened for a different reason when they settled on his face, and recognition lit up in them.
"You!" she blurted out in a gasp, which came out a lot ruder than intended! But it was at this awkward moment that she realized that, while he knew her name--after all, Cain had shouted it!--she had never learned his. "Ah! Sorry! I mean, Guardian! Whoa, I...wow, okay, sorry, I'm kinda failin' all over the place here, I didn't really expect to see ya again! Not that I didn't want to! I'm just sayin', I didn't expect...I thought I'd be more prepared and--shit, I dunno what I'm sayin', I guess I'm tryin' to say--"
She sucked in a deep breath and decided that, maybe, it was best if she just started over.
"Hi!"