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#FreedomFalls – May 31, 2016
Leah gives a couple nods of her own, slowing her pace so they can easily conversate while walking. "Like I said, it's not a bad place to live. Can certainly think of worse. Just takes a little getting used to, ya know? Being so-... remote? I mean, Freedom Falls is a nice town, but you're pretty much on your own out here. Can be a little overwhelming at first." she says before sucking
in a deep breath of air, a wide grin returning to her face, "Or freeing, I suppose. Depends on who ya ask. Either way, it's 'home' now."
Nathan chuckles, glancing around the buildings and the flux of people getting along with their lives. "Heh, used to being on my own. Have been for about four years now really," he says as he keeps his gaze forwards, the smile on his face being replaced by a more dour look. It quickly vanishes. "So adapting to this place shouldn't be a problem. 'Sides, the country
Leah continues on, heavy boots clunking against the ground with each step. "It is amazing. Just-... keep in mind the roads outside of town aren't the most maintained." she warns with a shrug. "Everything on Aite is so-... spread out. The area in between can be a bit of a 'no-man's-land'. Gotta be careful." she says before swinging back around to his initial statement. "Four years?"
she asks, cocking a glance to her side at him, "That when you left-... uhh, the peacekeeping company you were with?" she asks, trying to come up with the name. After a moment, her eyes light up, "Sandbeck! See? Good with names." she adds proudly.
Nathan hums. "Thanks for the warning," he says with a nod before he nods again, throwing in a chuckle at the end. "Indeed you are," he agrees with a smirk. "And yeah, that's when I left... well, sort of... not really... I was discharged," he mutters, glancing off to the side with an ashamed look plastering his weathered features.
Leah turns her gaze ahead as Nathan speaks. "....Oh." she says softly, realizing they might be breaching sensitive territory. She gives a slight shrug. "Soooo-...?" she prods, not exactly wanting to flat out ask for more information. Finally she frowns, "It wasn't for being some sort of, like, sociopath, right? One of those thrill-of-the-kill type freelancers? You're not some serial
killer or something, are you?" she continues, the grin on her face making it clear that she's joking. Probably. "Because if you're just hoping to figure out where I live so you can turn my skin into a glove or something, I'm gonna have to warn you... It won't end well for you."
Nathan manages a chuckle at her somewhat lightening of the situation. "No, no. Not thrill of the kill. And... probably not a sociopath," he adds with a grin. It fades quickly and he looks ahead again. "...We were on some backwater colony, right? Sandbeck was hired by the local government to help quell an insurrection by... rebels? Terrorists? Eh, whatever label
they took," he starts. He steps around a pair of asari, offering them a quick apology before he continues. "My team and I were advancing with the mechanized division through a small city. Place was barren, evacuated when the fighting kicked off, when we suddenly got a call from recon saying that these terrorists had somehow got their hands on a maelstrom
bomb! Big bastard, can easily atomize a city block in a heartbeat...". He pauses and waves a hand idly as he speaks. "So, what with my team and I being EOD, we took it upon ourselves to find it and disarm it. We went ahead of the convoy and managed to sneak in... at least we thought so. We assumed they had planted the bomb then fucked off out of the
killzone... but no, they stayed. We couldn't disarm it and then leave, they could just turn it back on again. And it was way too big to carry. So, I made a call. I accelerated the countdown...".
Leah keeps her attention ahead of her, weaving effortlessly between anyone that they come across as they continue through town. She listens attentively, only chiming in once she's sure he's done. "Oh-... But-... But wasn't that just what they wanted?" she asks curiously, "The-... the insurrectionist-slash-rebel-slash-terrorists?" She again gives an apologetic tilt of her head as she
fears she may unintentionally sound judgemental. "I guess I just-... accelerating the countdown would only help them-... you know..." she puffs out her cheeks with air then releases it, making a poor attempt at sounding like a bomb exploding. "...Right?"
Nathan sighs. "Yeah, that's how the tribunal saw it. But, if I had just pulled out of there and left the bomb they would still have had a seriously powerful weapon at their disposal. If we had stayed and tried to hold out... well, I wouldn't be talking to you...". He sighs. "I was in the wrong. I was twenty-four and it was my first command. The way I saw at the
time was that if I accelerated the countdown and pulled out, I was wiping out a group of bastards responsible for killing innocents AND preventing them from using that weapon for some fucked up purpose further down the line...". He looks down and realizes he was clenching his shaking hand. He unfurls it and looks off to the side. "...The city-block was
destroyed and all the rebels in it. No causalities on our end but...". He lowers his voice. "I didn't argue with the verdict. I made a bad call."
Leah slowly nods as Nathan speaks, but keeps her gaze forward. "Maybe, maybe not." she says with a small shrug. "You did what you thought was right. Who's to say that if you hadn't done it, that bomb wouldn't have been set off a month later in some-... some-... I don't know... populated place?" she offers, trying to make it clear that she's not judging his decision. "Nobody is perfect.
We just try to do the best we can-... be the best we can, and live with the fallout in those instances when we come up short, right? I don't think there's anyone out there who hasn't made a choice they regret..." she says, her voice growing noticably quieter, "...At least yours came from a good place. Nothing to be ashamed of, Nate." She forces a smile back into place and glances in
Nathan smiles faintly, glancing over to her. At her words though, he notices her quietened voice. "Thanks, Leah." He then chuckles and waves a hand with flair. "Listen to me, babbling on about my past to someone I've only known for a few days! Damn you for having such a trusting face," he says with a smirk. "I feel like I owe you a drink after you just had to put
up with me rambling. Obviously not now because... well-" he raises the bag and waggles his fingers at it. "Foooooooood~."
Leah gives a chuckle in response, nodding in turn. "Been a while since I was able to just sit down, relax and have a drink. Sounds fun." she admits, her mind briefly wandering back to the implant in her eye and a frown washes over her face briefly. "So-..." she immediately jumps back in, hoping to keep her thoughts from going back there, "...As soon as Sandbeck discharged you, you
Nathan nods. "Tomorrow? At around... eight?" He asks. He then nods and shrugs. "Yeah, pretty much. Spent four years just drifting, taking jobs here and there. Mostly bounties, tracking down scum and all that jazz." He chuckles. "I returned to Earth briefly... a month or two. Y'know, catch up with the family and the like. Heh, that was a nice time. My little sister
was overjoyed to see me again. See, she really hadn't anyone to practice the violi-" He immediately forces a cough and looks off to the side. "Uh, the uh, guitar. And drums with... yeah. Rock n' roll!" He says.
Leah blinks a couple of times. "Eight...? How about you just-... I don't know. Send a message my way when you're not busy and I'll see if I'm free?" she says, feeling slightly uncomfortable at scheduling things. She doesn't settle on the thought for too long, however, as mention of the violin slip sets in. "Violin!? You play the violin?" A long burst of laughter escapes her and she
stops in place. "That's adorable! Big, bad mercenary with a little-... little-..." she makes as if she has a violin over her shoulder and hops merrily from foot to foot, "Like this...? Is this how you do it?" she asks through chuckles.
Nathan blushes fiercely and makes to shove her playfully in the shoulder. "Alright! Fine, I played the violin! So sue me!" He grumbles as he walks on. "I played it when I was in high school and maybeeeeee I kept it up a little bit in my spare time between blowing shit up and hunting down criminals!" He rounds on her and wags a finger under her nose, eyes narrowing.
"You keep this between us, alright? Or so help me Lord Jesus I will shove a grenade right up where the sun don't shine." He leans in close. "And lemme tell you, it ain't a pretty sight." He leaves that to linger before leaning back and smiling. "But sure, I'll drop you a message soon."
Leah stops her mocking and crosses her big green eyes, keeping them locked on the tip of Nathan's finger. "Uh huh! Blowing shit up! Hunting down criminals!" she agrees, her eyes moving back to his face as she tries to keep as serious of an expression as possible, given her newfound information. "All sorts of tough-guy stuff." she adds with a stern nod. "You know-..." she continues,
suddenly struggling to keep her smile from returning, "...in between all the-... Diddleiddleiddleiddle~" she hums, returning to hopping from foot to foot daintily as she plays an invisible violin. More laughter erupts from her with little regard for the looks she's getting by passers-by. As her laughter dies down and her goofy jig comes to an end, she lets out a short sigh. "I'm just
Nathan furrows his brow, but can't help but laugh at her little diddleawhatsit thing. He steps back and waves her off with a smirk, a warm look behind his stormy eyes. "Yeah, well... sometimes you gotta bite the bullet, give up your masculinity and help out your little sister," he muses as he waits for her to take the lead considering he has no clue where he is
going. "I don't regret it. Y'know, she's on track to becoming one of the most skilled violinists nationally," he says proudly, but manages to catch himself before he starts off on another tangent. "Alright, indulge me. You said you made a makeshift training area in your backgarden. You a professional fighter? Boxer?"
Leah lowers her fake violin and sets off towards her house once more as he begins to respond, a soft snickering still escaping her. "Give up your masculinity? What does that even mean?" she groans. As he states his question, she gives a quick shake of her head. "Professional? No. I mean-... I thought about it after I left the Alliance. Not sure I've got what it takes but-.." she
gives a shrug of her shoulders, slowing her pace once more so she can look over at him as he catches up, "I mean it was never a serious consideration or anything. I'd hate to be in the spotlight like that." She scrunches up her nose and gives a disapproving shake of her head, "Too much pressure. But yeah, close quarters combat is sort of my specialty. Given my line-... our-..." she
corrects, "...line of work, having a place that's not too far to stay conditioned just seemed like a good idea, you know?"
Nathan falls into step besides her and listens, swinging the bag with each sway of his arm. "Combined with biotics, I bet that makes for one hell of a combo," he says with a raised eyebrow. "So the Alliance trained you?"
Leah gives another shallow nod, but doesn't respond to his first comment. "Yep. It-... You don't have a lot of say in that sort of thing when you're a biotic. All of that was mostly chosen for me." she says, but doesn't really linger on the statement long enough for a response, "Not that I'm upset about that or anything! The Alliance was great. I don't know where I'd be without them.
I was pretty sure I'd stick with it, make a career out of it but-..." she gives another shrug, trailing off slightly. "Life happens and-... I guess it just wasn't meant to be." she says somewhat dismissively. She flashes a bright grin his way, "Good memories, though. Wouldn't have traded the experience for anything."
Nathan laughs softly. "Yeah, I know the feeling," he says. "All too well." He smiles back to her, a relaxed look as he falls silent for the moment. Realising what he's doing, he quickly turns his head forwards again. "Might have to have a spar against you at some point. Um, obviously after this is healed though," he mutters as he waggles his casted arm.
Leah rolls her eyes, sweeping a bit of hair behind her ear. "Why is everyone so eager to catch an ass-whipping from me?" she taunts, although her smile fades for a moment and her gaze lowers to the ground. She swallows hard, propping her smile back up as she nods. "Yeah, sure. As soon as that heals up, I'd be more than happy to break the other one. Even 'em up a bit for ya." she adds
Nathan snorts. "So modest," he says with a roll of his eyes. "And cocky! Well, there's only room for one modestly cocky sod in Redrock. And you're looking at 'im!" He grins and jabs a thumb in his own chest. "Sandbeck ran everyone through CQC training and I like to think I can hold my own," he replies with a taunting smirk. He looks around as they head further out
Leah snickers and gives a shake of her head. "I'm not cocky!" she says as they near the edge of town, "I'm confident. There's a difference. There's also a difference between 'running through CQC training' and focusing the entirety of your training and career on it..." she says, giving him a sidelong glance and putting her hand up defensively, "I'm juuuust saying. I'm kiiiind
of an asskicker." she continues with a wink, "And I'm not afraid to hit a guy with a violin soo~..." Her shoulders rise and fall with silent laughter.
Nathan opens his mouth to counter... Before realising that she's actually got a point. He huffs and looks away with a snooty sniff. "Neeeeeever going to let that go, are you?" He asks with a weary, yet amused smile.
Leah shakes her head, an instant reaction. "Not a chance!" she snaps back, followed by another chuckle. Her walking comes to a complete stop and she turns to face him, cocking a thumb further out. "Alright, Nate. I appreciate the company, but I don't expect you to hoof it allll the way out there and then alllll the way back in the cold." she says, glancing off in the direction of
her house before getting another jab in, "Besides, so long as you don't know where I live, you can't try to turn me into a glove, ya weirdo." She shifts the bag between hands, reaching out to stretch the arm she was previously carrying it on, "Soooo~ thanks for the conversation? Annnnd shoot a message my way when you're free and maybe we can hang out, grab a drink and stuff, alright?"
Nathan laughs and stops as she does. He frowns and cants his head go the side, sighing. "Still don't know where you got that whole glove thing from," he says with a bemused look. He nods and shrugs lightly. "Likewise. It was... Amusing to say the least." He taps two fingers to his forehead in a mock salute. "Aye, aye. I'll see you around, Leah," he says with a warm
smile before turning back the way they came. He throws a wave over his shoulder as he starts off back to the Respite.