This logfile is imported from aitelogs2 and may contain errors or wrong timestamps.
#ClubCobalt – October 8, 2017
Almost 3 hours have passed in the club. Shane shared a few more dances with Ilyna and a couple of drinks before eventually being pulled away by Gage. The two of them retreated back to the private room with Sam where they've remained, chatting up anyone who stops by. Jason has made his rounds, chit chatting with any and everyone, but he always returns to hover around the bar. Priya has been his shadow since being sent to look after him by
Gage, but Jason has spent far too much time slugging back drinks to realize he's being babysat. All in all he seems to be having a good time. Recently, however, all of the guests recieved a poorly typed (Even by Jason's standards) text asking them all to meet him back at the private room.
Nathan has spent the best part of his three hours drinking, dancing and making friends with random people throughout the club. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't, but all in all, he had a good time. By now, he's as rosy as a flower, but handled it well. When the message arrived, the tipsy grenadier bid farewell to his dancing partners and stumbled his way to the room, entering with a flourish and a cry of,
Ilyna seems to have enjoyed their dance, though any further flirting would be dismissed with less and less grace as the drinks poured in. Ilyna is still not drunk, but the drinks she has had is clearly having an effect. She has mostly stayed in the room, but there's been a few times where she's been on her own. Ilyna has tried to pull Va'ynna out of the room, fearing that the younger asari is not enjoying this
celebration, but her attempts have been met with failure. She was on her way back from the restroom when she got the message, and has just entered the room after Nathan.
Va'ynna has only shifted further into the booth, having only left the room once to go to the bathroom. She has taken any chance she could get to have a simple one-on-one conversation. She has not yet had a single drop of alcohol, which has made her more uncomfortable as many of the other guests are getting more and more inebriated. Upon spotting Ilyna entering, she sighs, half expecting another attempt to get her out.
Shane greets Nathan and Ilyna with a raise of his beer from his location on the couch between Sam and Gage. The latter gets a quick wink as well. Sam looks pretty trashed. Shane is definitely a good number of drinks in, too, but Gage at some point switched to soda. "I take it you two got the same message and figured out what in the hell he meant by 'come in back into the broom'? Sounds like maybe our boy had one too many." he snickers.
Nathan snorts and staggers over to the couch. He idly flops himself down to firmly land next to Sam. He would've very likely introduced himself at some point, having not met her previously, and tried his best to make a good first impression despite the copious amounts of booze flowing in his system. "He's an enigma, yes, but after much thinking and cracking of his mysterious code, I did figure it out!"
Ilyna returns the wink before crossing the room. "No, I'm looking for him so I could ask him," she says. "His messages aren't usually this bad." She slips into the couch next to Va'ynna, evoking a sigh from the other asari who is probably expecting another friendly request.
Sam furrows her brow, seeming confused by Shan'es mention of a message, but snorts loudly as it's explained. She's slumped in her seat a bit, her boots propped up on the table. The collection of empty bottles near her area at the table tells the tale of a very drunk woman. "My message just said 'shut up' six times. Spelled differently each time. He sent it to me twice." she adds with a shrug.
Jason as if on cue, enters through the door with his babysitter. A big goofy grin is plastered across his face and he's holding a full drink in one hand, his other arm is draped over Priya's shoulder. As soon as he steps inside, he points at Sam. "Shut up!" he says, unable to suppress a drunken snicker part way through. Sam simply cocks an eyebrow. Whatever humor Jason finds in this bit is entirely lost on her.
Nathan raises a bottle which he acquired on his journey up here, cheering. "And the man of the hour arrives!"
Ilyna raises an eyebrow as she looks between Jason and Sam. "What did I miss?" she asks. She did not bring a drink to the room, or had any for most of the last hour.
Jason pulls his arm free from Priya as he levels his drunken grin on Sam. "I'm just fuckin' with ya." he says, "You know I love you. I love all of you!" he continues, looking around the room at the others. "Which is why I wanted you all to be here. Figured I needed to do some sort of-... you know. Toast or something. That's something people do at these sorts of things, right?"
Nathan laughs and nods, throwing his hand across the back of the couch as he takes a swig from the bottle. "Speeech! Speech, speech, speech!" He chants, before grinning like a fool. "You're always so eloquent! So this should be like... uh, listening to... uh... What's his face? Uhhhhh, Shakespear! That's his face."
Ilyna laughs, expecting there would be some rhyme or reason to it. The other asari's increasing distance doesn't go unnoticed, but she doesn't react to it beyond a raised eyebrow.
Va'ynna pulls her half-empty glass over to her, and looks around the group before her attention again settles on Jason.
Gage cocks an eyebrow, a small amused smile creeping into his features as he folds his arms across his chest. "This should be good..." he says.
Jason looks Nathan's way, apparently taking his comment at face value. "Thank you!" he says sincerely. He takes a couple steps towards the couch and plops down heavily beside Ilyna, causing a small amount of his drink to splash onto his pants. He tosses an arm over the shoulders of the asari at his side and gives her an awkward side hug as he starts his 'toast'. "Alright. I'm not gonna make this all mushy or anything." he begins,
looking around the room at the others. "I just-... You know." he says, specifically looking Gage's way.
Jason nods to himself, returning to looking around the room at the others. "After Mina died. I wasn't sure I'd ever find happiness again. Hell, at the time I didn't think I'd ever want to find happiness again!" he chuckles, despite the obviously depressing implications. "And I abandoned the only real family I had left. And for that? I'm sorry." he continues, looking between Gage, Priya, Sam, and Shane.
Shane gives a shake of his head. "Nothing to be sorry about. We're still right here, brother." he calls out without prompting.
Jason continues over-top of Shane. "There is! And I am! But I don't regret it. I'm sorry, but I don't." He shakes his head a few times, looking to Ilyna. To Va'ynna. To Nathan. "I don't regret it at all. I did a stupid fucking thing-... running off to get myself killed on that shit hole station... But I can't regret it because I met you assholes! Because I met Linda-... and Tarlon-... and-... and Tarkus. So, you know. I guess
Nathan listens quietly, a his grin fading as Jason speaks his piece. Something... new, he has just learnt. Something that makes him see the man in a new light. He really isn't all that different to him, in a way. Both of them having ran from something in their past. He points to Jason, smiling. "Well, I haven't been around long... but I think it is safe to say, Jase that you are damn well one of the better men I
have met in your life. Whatever happened in the past... you have more than made up for it. You're a good man and, while I won't say I love you for fear of the Chief eating me alive, you're a hell of a friend and boss."
Ilyna is caught off guard at first, but she's quick to lean in on the hug. She gives a slight amused snort at the bit about running off to Omega. "To making big mistakes," she says with a grin, though she has no drink to reach for and raise. "I don't know what would have become of me if I hadn't met you. People like you."
Jason gives a couple of nods as he listens to Nathan, the sincerity in his words a tad sobering. The comment about Vasquez gets a chuckle out of him. "That means a lot, Ten..." he says before looking to Ilyna. "To making big mistakes." he repeats through a lopsided grin and takes a long sip from his drink. Upon noticing Ilyna's lack of a drink, he passes his own her way.
Gage raises his soda up in response to the mantra Ilyna started, hoping Jason won't notice he's not getting shitfaced and force a beer into his hand, and takes a drink. "Hopefully we've all got a whole lot more to make."
Sam leans forward to search through her beer bottle graveyard until she finds one that's not empty. Once beer has been aquired, she levels a smile on Jason and takes a swig.
Va'ynna looks over at Jason, listening carefully to what he has to say. She finds herself nodding along with the others' praise, but she tenses up as the second passes and she has not yet responded. "You... you... you were the... first person I got to know on this planet," she says, barely audible over the muffled music to those furthest from her. "You offered to help me get a job, and... I finally felt safe. That... I
had someone to turn to....." She wipes a tear from under her eyes, which cuases her to blush as that did likely not evade notice.
Nathan smirks and stands up, wavering a little. He raises his bottle, looks at everyone and says, "To Redrock and the best damn bosses we could ask for!"
Ilyna takes a tiny sip from his drink without any inspection and passes it back to him with a nod of thanks. She had already drawn a line to herself, but she figures it would be rude to outright turn it down.
Jason recollects his drink and takes another long sip in response to Nathan's statement, raising his drink to the man before looking across Ilyna to Va'ynna. "I'm lucky to have a friend like you, V." he says. "So long as I'm still kicking, you'll always have someone to turn to. That's a promise."
Shane, Priya, and Sam all look to Gage at Nathan's mention of 'the best damn bosses'. Nods are exchanged and it would be hard not to notice the immense amount of respect the three have for Gage. He waves them off dismissively, clearly not wanting to take any of the attention away from Jason.
Gage refocuses his attention on Jason. "That goes for you, too." he addresses Jason's comment to Va'ynna. "We may have went our separate ways, but you ever need us, don't you hesitate to ask."
Sam resumes slugging back the rest of her beer and sets it back amongst the other fallen soldiers. "Alright, alright. What happened to the whole 'not getting mushy' thing?" she teases.
Va'ynna smiles at Jason's promise, even if she's heard it in some form before. At Sam's teasing, her smile fades however. "Sorry," she murmurs, claiming some responsibility for it. She picks up her drink and takes a long, slow sip.
Nathan lowers his glass after taking a swing and falls back into the seat besides Sam. "We're drunk. Mushy is allowed for about two minutes, then it's back to being... whatever it was that each of us do when we are drunk. For me... that's dancing and more drinking and hopeless flirting."
Ilyna chuckles and pats the other asari's shoulder, but she is content to remain quiet and lean on Jason for the time being.
Jason sets his drink down on the table and shakes his head at Nathan. "No, no, no. She's right. No more mushy!" he declaures, rising to his feet and taking Ilyna by the hand as he does. "We-..." he glances over to Ilyna, "...Are going to dance. The rest of you can hug and sing a song or some shit, I don't care." he drunkenly teases as he tugs at Ilyna to follow him.
Sam looks to Nathan and blinks a couple of times. "Dancing, drinking, and flirting." she says aloud before finally shrugging as a drunken smile crosses her features, "Well, one out of three ain't too bad, I guess. Go get me another beer."
Shane places a hand on Gage's shoulder, using him as support to climb to his feet. "I'm never opposed to more dancing." he says as he weaves his way out of the couch. He glances back over his shoulder to Va'ynna with that telltale shit-eating grin. "You coming?"
Nathan looks to Sam and wags a finger at her. "Two out of three. I'll get you a beer, you come and dance with me, aight? I am not working for free!"
Gage chimes in before Sam can pipe up. "Sam. It's a party. Go have fun. That's an order!" he teases.
Sam sighs, making a show of considering the offer for a few moments before finally shrugging her shoulders. "Two our of three..." she agrees begrudgingly, grabbing on to the edge of the couch to try and push herself upright.
Ilyna is caught off guard and almost stumbles over when she's yanked out of the couch, but she laughs once she's regained her balance. "Oh Goddess," she mutters, but she's quick to follow up with, "Let's go."
Nathan grins in smug victory and gives her a playful waggle of his eyebrows as he extends a crooked arm for her to loop hers through. "That's an order, soldier," he teases. Regardless if she loops or not, he takes off with drunken vigor towards the bar with her in tow. "Jase," he calls back to him. "Me and you, dance off soon!"
Va'ynna looks up to him, though she averts eye-contact. She then looks around as more and more people start to leave the room. "No... thank you," she declines, possibly to low for him to hear.
Shane snickers to himself, having expected this outcome given his previous interactions with the meek asari. "Well, the offer stands if you change your mind." he assures her before setting off on his own towards the bar.
Va'ynna doesn't acknowledge his offer in any visible way, but she does watch him leave. Once he's out of the room, she looks down at her drink thoughtfully.
Sam loops her arm through Nathan's and marches in step with him. "Permission to cut a rug, sir!" she calls out crisply.
Jason continues leading the way down towards the dance floor. "Careful what you wish for, Ten! You don't want me to embarass you in front of a crowded room!" he taunts, intertwining his fingers with Ilyna's as the group descends the stairs.
Gage lets out a deep sigh as the room vacates. After a few moments of silence- well, relative silence aside from the thumping music seeping in from outside of the room- he looks to Va'ynna. "How in the hell did we get stuck with that group of idiots?" he asks jokingly.
Nathan grins at her and adopts the best and somewhat mocking pose he can of an officer, giving her an over the top firm look and a nod. "Permission granted, soldier! Throw down some shapes!" He holds it for as long as he can before he laughs and takes her to the bar, quickly giving Jason a look of, 'I'll take you down, boy' before he leans against the counter, flagging down a bartender. "A bottle of your finest
bear for this fine lady besides me!" He pauses. Considers his words. Clears his throat. "Beeeeeer." He corrects. Nailed it.
Bartender blinks in confusion as the translator struggles to make sense of Nathan's request. Upon hearing the correcting it takes but a moment before a bottle of beer slides down the bar counter to Nathan and Sam.
Sam snaps off a salute that would probably be vaguely offensive to a soldier given Nathan's lack of position of authority within the Alliance. But given her innebriation and their recent situation with the Alliance, it's not something she's too worried about. She snatches the beer up off the counter by the neck as it slides by and gives an appreciative nod Nathan's way. She tips it back, taking a long swig. "Yep." she says with a nod to
Bartender still seems puzzled by the unfamiliar word, and what it's connection to alcohol might be, but chalks it up to human slang before moving on to serve another clubgoer.
Ilyna seems a bit hesitant at first when Jason grabs her hand, but she relaxes hopefully soon enough for him not ot notice. "You shouldn't have," she says after he proudly accept Nathan's competition. "There's a reason people let go off me after only a few seongs."
Va'ynna turns her glass around as she ponders the question. "They're... uh, nice idiots?" she says, tone slightly light-hearted, before letting out a sigh. "I don't know...."
Nathan gives her an firm nod as he smirks to her. "The best kind of bear- beer, around. Beeeer." He gives her a large shrug as he turns to look at the dance floor, a drunken wave towards it. "So, on a scale of one to best there is, how good are you on the dance floor? I find some more beers- bears helps turn someone from a one to at least a solid three or four."
Jason slugs back the last of his drink and only swings by the bar long enough to reach between Nathan and Sam and set his empty glass down. "Well!" he says to Ilyna as he continues towards the dance floor with her, "Then I am going to show you a thing or two! Prepare.... to be amazed!" he says enthusiastically once they reach the crowded dance floor. What follows is something that no mortal eyes should ever see. There's a gallop. For
a few moments he seems to alternate hands, gesturing as if he's removing a cap from his head. Then he... stirs an invisible cauldron...? All the while completely beaming with confidence. Oh no, he's doing the chicken wing flap. He's really doing the chicken wing flap. Make it stop.
Sam turns in place as well, watching Jason in silence. It's like something you see on the nature channel. You don't quite understand what you're looking at, or its place in the wild, but you know you're witnessing something magnificent. Something that could never be replicated. And you think it might be better that way. She takes another quick sip of her drink as she studies the painful display. "....Better than that." she says flatly.
As Jason continues to groove, Sam winces at a particularly embarassing set of movements. "He'd die of alcohol poisoning before reaching a three." she mutters.
Nathan watches in astonished silence, mouth dropping open. After a moment, he inhales sharply and starts to snigger and shake his head, completely taken by surprise by the horrid display of 'dancing' that he is witnessing before himself. His omni-tool opens and he starts to record this display, sending a shit eating grin Sam's way. "Probably. You want a copy of this?" He motions to his omni-tool as it
Shane reaches the bar and waves down the bartender. He passes a brief glance Jason's way, which causes him to double-take and gives a shake of his head, but he doesn't gawk for too long. It's not the first time he's seen Jason's attempt at dancing, after all.
Bartender moves Shane's way after receiving payment for the last drink. Jason's... display... goes unnoticed, as she is focused on her work. "Yeah, what'll it be?" she says, leaning on her palms against the counter as she studies him.
Ilyna is at a loss for words as he begins showing her more than just a thing or two. There's another hopeless mutter from her, but this time the music drowns it out. "I am amazed," she says as she pulls him close, ikely intending to limit his range of movement. She is not aware of Nathan capturing this moment, however.
Elena passes Jason on her way towards the bar from the dance floor, giving him a wide berth and a sidelong glance as she navigates past the flailing man. She takes a seat at the bar with a sigh that goes unheard under the beat that fills the club. She's clearly been dancing for a while judging by the sheen of sweat on her skin, and she she crosses her arms on the counter, perhaps relieved to have something to lean against.
Shane leans against the counter, opting to stand rather than take a seat. "Beer. Surprise me." he says, giving that charming smile of his. As Elena takes a seat, he gives a glance her way. "And whatever she's having." he adds, deciding she looks like she could use a drink. And he's certainly not one to pass up an opportunity to buy a drink for a woman and earn some points.
Jason slows his movements as Ilyna pulls him in. "Oh... Yeah, sorry. Shouldn't start with the advanced moves." he decides with a nod, speaking loudly to be heard over the music. "Something a bit slower to start." he says, bringing his hands to her sides and shifting in place from side-to-side. It's not elegant, but it's better than-... whatever it was he was doing before. "So are you having a good time...?" he asks.
Nathan records for a few moments longer before closing the omni-tool down. He grins to her. "I'll need your contact details. But after... we go out there and show them how it's done, eh? Believe me, I am... nowhere near as bad as Jason or his... moves."
Va'ynna nods again and looks back down at her drink, not having aynthing to say at the moment. The night has had its moments, but she doesn't appear to have enjoyed most of it. It's mostly her fault, and she knows it.
Sam reaches into his pocket with her free hand to pull out her omni-tool. "Yeah, yeah! Of course!" she says over the music. She activates it and sets it down on the counter behind her so she can use it with one hand. A few button presses and her details are put into the ether for Nathan to grab. "You're not exactly setting the bar high, are you? Hell, I've fallen out of bed with more style than-... than whatever that was he was doing."
Elena glances to her side at Shane, and then to the bartender when she realizes what he said. "Mm, beer's fine." she decides, more interested in something to cool down a bit by now. As the bartender places the bottles on the counter she gives Shane a nod in thanks, mechanical fingers wrapping around the bottle and raising it slightly in acknowledgement before taking a swig. The ones one the arm clearest, but there are also
hints of a rose over her heart, as well as parts of her back tattoo - wingtips on the shoulders and a halo at the bottom of her neck. Of course, the rapidly shifting, and never all that bright lighting of the club makes it harder to discern details.
Ilyna smiles as she manages to reign him in, and she's content to just sway. "Yes," she says. "I really didn't know how much I needed this...." While she is very rarely out on the dance floor, it's usually her that's embarrasing her partner.
Elena glances to her side at Shane, and then to the bartender when she realizes what he said. "Mm, beer's fine." she decides, more interested in something to cool down a bit by now. As the bartender places the bottles on the counter she gives Shane a nod in thanks, mechanical fingers wrapping around the bottle and raising it slightly in acknowledgement before taking a swig. Her tattoos are still visible. The ones one the
arm clearest, but there are also hints of a rose over her heart, as well as parts of her back tattoo - wingtips on the shoulders and a halo at the bottom of her neck. Of course, the rapidly shifting, and never all that bright lighting of the club makes it harder to discern details.
Nathan snags her details on his, realising that to do so, he needs to keep his omni-tool on! Who would've thunk it? He sends her the video with a nod and a wink, pushing himself upright and brushing himself down. He pivots on the spot and holds a hand out to her, a sparkle in his eyes and a mischievous gait to his pose. "So, how about that dance? I promise, I'll only slightly embarrass you. Maybe."
Shane takes a sip of his beer as he examines the tattoos, not exactly being incognito about it. After a few moments, he leans over to better be heard. "Nice ink." he says, "Alliance?"
Jason snickers and gives a nod. "Yeah... I think we could all use a bit more relaxing. Been a stressful few months. Tonight has been... nice." he decides as he sways to the music. "Reminds me of the old days. Just hanging out and having a few beers."
Sam checks the video quickly just to make sure the transfer finish. A brief chuckle escapes her upon seeing it again. "I'm not letting him live this one down." she says before shutting her omni-tool down and shoving it back into her pocket. She eyes Nathan's hand for a moment before shrugging, slugging the remainder of her drink, setting it aside and taking his hand. "Let's show them how it's done." she says.
Elena doesn't seem to mind, taking another sip from her beer, and then shifting her arm slightly. "Gracias. And yeah."she says, pursing her lips and giving a small shrug before adding: "Well... not anymore."
Nathan pulls her onto the dance floor and he takes a moment to listen to the beat, the rhythm. He nods and he releases her hand, taking a single step from her. "Alright." And then Nathan does something that is rather unexpected, given his state and the small humble brags. He actually dances. And dances pretty well. Maybe it's the booze, maybe he actually knows how to dance. But his movements are in time, they're
sleek and they fit right in. He bounces along with the music, seemingly more dancing for the enjoyment of it than actually trying to one up Jason. Although... that really didn't take much. He smiles broadly across to Sam, pointing to her and flashing her a wink.
Shane gives a brief shake of his head. "Small galaxy." he says, almost to himself before clarifying. "Just got out myself. Just out here for a buddies wedding." He considers pointing Jason out for a moment, but decides against it, lest she hold it against him. "Place is crawling with ex-Alliance tonight."
Sam tilts her head to the side as she appraises Nathan. After a moment she gives a few shallow nods. "Not bad, not bad!" she says as she begins to step to the beat. It's nothing fancy but she's by no means bad. Clubs aren't exactly her scene, but she's seen her fair share, so she's at no risk of embarassing herself. "You go dancing a lot?"
Ilyna sighs, and lays her head on his shoulder. The dance might be completely uncharacterstic for the music playing, but Ilyna didn't care. "Yeah," she says. "It's weird to think that those were simpler times."
Nathan shakes his head as he steps up to her, swaying and moving. "Used to, back in the day. And, well, I grew up with three sisters. It was guaranteed one of them was going to teach me how to dance at some point." He shrugs with spin, timed perfectly to the lull in the tempo before it kicks back in and he's moving from foot to foot. "You seem to know your stuff too!"
Elena 's eyebrows rise in surprise, looking Shane over. "Oh yeah?" she says, a small smirk crossing her lips. "Marines? You don't look like Navy." she comments, rolling her shoulder slightly to make sure the knife at the center of the Alliance emblem on her shoulder doesn't go unnoticed.
Jason shrugs his shoulders. The slow pace of the dancing doesn't bother him, he's just enjoying the company of his friend. Besides, it allows them to at least communicate without screaming. "Simpler doesn't always mean better. I mean, our lives aren't perfect or anything-... Hell, they're pretty fucked, all things considered. But you've got Li. Ehanis is out here. I've got Linda and a baby on the way-..." he sighs and shakes his
head, a big goofy, drunken smile returning to his face at the mere thought of his current situation, "...Which terrifies the fuck out of me, if I'm being honest." he admits through a chuckle. "But... things are good, you know? I'm not sure, but I think this alien feeling is-..." he feigns surprise, "...Yeah! It might be happiness!" he jokes.
Sam shrugs her shoulders in between beats. "I'm not gonna win any dance-offs, that's for sure." She casts a brief glance Jason's way before correcting herself. "Though I suppose that depends on the competition... Anyway, I used to date someone who loved to go dancing. Not really my thing, but I guess some of it stuck."
Shane's cocky smile returns in all its glory. "Through-and-through." he responds confidently as if there's some sort of inherent pride attached to being a Marine as opposed to Navy. "Served out in the Traverse on patrol. Crazy shit."
Nathan chuckles and throws a hand out to the side in his own version of a shrug. "Well, you're regaining some honour for you and your team," he says, sending a less than subtle glance Jason's way, clearly referring to his... moves? Is that what you would call them? "My ex wasn't a fan of dancing. Her team was, but not her. So I mostly went out clubbing with them while she... did reports and shit. I dunno. Who
cares now?" He gives her a disarming smile and, with a cheeky wink, tries to quickly put her into a spin in time with the music, then pull her back into step with him before backing off and moving once more.
Elena grins, giving an approving nod. "Patrol? Fuuuck that. I want my boots on the ground if I'm fighting." She takes another swig of beer and swivels her stool to face Shane, furrowing her eyebrows as she studies him for a moment. "Left recently, huh? You get kicked out?" she asks, seeming amused by the idea, although it seems clear from his pride that it's probably not the case.
Sam looks Jason's way once again when Nathan does, and just smiles as she spots him. Regardless of how much time passed since he left, it's pretty clear that a love and respect exists among Jason and his old squad that goes beyond just co-workers. She gives a 'whoop' as she's caught off guard by the spin, but she handles it expertly, falling right back in line with the music. "Bringing out the fancy moves for me! I'm flattered."
Shane snorts, raising a hand and waving her assumption off. "Naw, nothing like that. Just did our time. You know how it is. You age out. They start blowing a bunch of hot air up your ass about being more valuable training new recruits then getting your ass shot off." By his tone, it's quite clear that he doesn't agree. "Fuck that. We still have too much fight in us for that. So here we are."
Ilyna gives an affirming hum. "I don't ever regret taking Li with me back from the Citadel," she says, "but... I still don't feel ready for this." She lets out a long sigh and squeezes him. "But I'll do what I can to help, just like you've done for me and Li."
Nathan flashes her a charming smile, a wink and he slides up to her as suavely as he can. "More where that came from!" But, despite his apparent flirting, the grenadier takes it no further than that. Instead, he cuts loose and dances without a care in the world, moving with the beat and even throwing in the occasional move that draws one or two admiring glances or odd looks. After all, everyone has a little
different variation of dancing. But so he goes on, until Sam bows out to which he bids her a farewell, a thankful look and a playful peck on her hand. Ever the gentleman, of course. After that, he would fade amidst the other dancers, carrying on until everyone takes their leave. He needs a ride out, after all.
Elena 's grin remains and she briefly pushesher right elbow off the bar to raise her bottle, perhaps expecting the same from him. "Wanna stay in the fight then? I can respect that." Regardless of whether he accepts the gesture of clanking bottles she takes a swig and then asks: "You got a crew?"
Jason wraps Ilyna up in a warm hug. "We'll figure it out. Just have to stick together, ya know? All of us." he says, well aware of the regrettable fissure the whole Ehanis situation created between Ilyna and Vasquez. And almost created between Ilyna and himself, for that matter. "We're family."
Shane taps his bottle lightly against Elena's, giving a stern nod. "Damn right I do. It's where I belong." he proclaims proudly in response to her first question. "We're still figuring this whole 'private sector' thing out right now, but yeah." he nods. "We're a small crew, but we're damn good at our jobs." he continues with no small amount of confidence.
Elena once again leans her side against the bar. She tilts her head slightly, studying Shane again. "Your squad's with you?" she asks, reading as much into his comments. There's a brief hint of a more somber look in her eyes but it doesn't last long.
Shane gives another deep nod. "Wouldn't be doing this if they weren't. We're kind of a package deal." he says with a chuckle, "One of us goes, we all go." He takes a swig of his drink, rotating to better face Elena and lean his weight against the counter. "What about you? You don't wear that sort of pride-..." he gestures to the tattoo with a nod of his head, "...and then just abandon ship." He narrows his eyes as he studies her. The hand.
"Wounded in the line of duty." he deduces with absolute certainty. His charming smile returns despite the grim implications that come with his assumption. "Tell me I'm wrong." It may be rude, but it's not like he hasn't been around these sorts of injuries all throughout his career. In his experience, dancing around them and treating them with the kid gloves is more insulting than just laying it out there and acknowledging them.
Elena chuckles, a lopsided grin crossing her lips. Her attention is drawn to her hand as he comments on it, and she places her bottle down on the bar before lifting her hand between the two of them, opening and closing the fingers in sequence, as if to show that it has full mobility. Tattooed flames adorn the skin around the anchor for the hand, rising up her lower arm. "It look like this keeps me from fighting?" she asks,
raising an eyebrow, but brief laugh and a shrug follows. "Had a lotta reasons for leaving. Guess it was one of 'em." She shifts her right shoulder, almost into flex, although the intention is clearly to show the tattoo on her shoulder. A fallen soldier's cross. An old tradition, although the components are modern. An M-7 Lancer, bayonet buried in the dirt, and a hardsuit helmet upon the stock. Three dogtags hang from
Shane's smile persists right up until he gets a better look at the other tattoos. He sucks in a deep breath, "Shit, I'm sorry..." he says, gaze fixed on the tattoo. "See, I've got this incredible talent for putting my foot in my mouth. Apologies." He casts one more glance at the tattoo. "Never easy losing people." he sighs.
Elena 's smile fades, and for a while she takes on a more subdued tone. There's a hint of underlying sadness as she moves her elbow back to the bar, but she seems to have taken no offense. "It's how it is. Sure ain't your fault." She takes a long swig of her beer. As she places it back down, the movement undertaken a bit more carefully due to the lack of sensation in her hand, a grin tugs at the corner of her mouth.
Shane's smile returns as it becomes clear that he hasn't fouled her mood. "Alright then, Marine." He gives a nod to her beer before taking a sip of his own. "Then how about you finish that off so I can take you for a spin out on the dance floor?" he offers.
Elena raises an eyebrow. "Yeah? Sounds like a plan." she says, emptying the remainder of her beer in one long swig, and hopping off her chair. She grabs Shane's arm to pull him along, not giving him much time to finish his own beer. "Show me what you got!"