Nathan dips his hands beneath the soapy surface of the water and begins to wash up the plates, if only to give his hands something to do whilst Francois and he have this conversation. Otherwise, he knows he'd probably stand there awkwardly. He hums a soft acknowledgement. "Yeah. She's... she's let me know a few things," he says hesitantly. Like the fact she was forced to kill a friend. That she's fought what are basically
#Leah'sHouse – October 25, 2020
eldritch horrors from the deepest recesses of your nightmares. That she has always been treated different for being a biotic. Hell, Nate would probably go so far as to say that Francois is underselling it. Instead, he nods once more, glancing over to him.
Zoe 's energetic exploration of the snowy ground in front of the Mercier house continues with renewed enthusiasm when Leah comes along, enabling the gzzk to go further - and providing some company in the unfamiliar environment. It may only have been a few days, but the house is already starting to entrench itself as a place of safety in the young animal's mind. Familiar. Warm. Full of food and pats. The outside, not so much. But with
Leah's company the gzzk seems confident in indulging its curiosity and stretching its legs as it runs this way and that. It comes to a stop as it finds a dead branch in the snow, wrestling the inanimate piece of wood into submission and gnawing on it with itchy, still-forming teeth.
Francois continues to portion out the food into tupperware containers, seemingly intent on packing each one to the brim. He gives a small nod of his own as Nathan speaks up. He doesn't have the same insight into the last year of his daughter's life. They're burdens that Leah wouldn't dare put on him. But he's her father and, try as she might to keep up appearances, even he can see that the toll that this last year has taken on
her. Piled on top of a life surrounded by ignorant, bigoted people. People who wouldn't even give her a chance before making their minds up about her. "People can be cruel." he says softly, brows furrowing in feigned concetration on his task.
Nathan lets out a small, bitter chuckle. "Yeah... yeah they can be." His mind drifts back to Sandbeck for a moment, unwelcome thoughts creeping back in, threatening to spill once more into the forefront of his mind and consume it in the inky blackness of past despair. But he locks it down, beating it back and keeping himself locked into the now. "But there's no cruelty here. At Redrock." With me, he thinks to himself.
"She's surrounded by people who care about her, Frank. A lot." He pulls out a clean plate and sets it off to the side to drip dry for a while, submerging his hands once more to move onto the next. "I can promise you that."
Francois once again nods to the younger man's words, worried that his words may have been taken as an accusation. And somewhere, deep down, maybe they were. Perhaps not exactly an accusation, but most certainly a concern. Nathan's words echo those of his daughter. Assurances that things are different out here. But he's seen the ugly side of humanity and it tends to build up a scepticism that he can't just ignore. Especially when
it comes to his daughter. A short silence sets in as he mulls his words over in his mind, desperately hoping to avoid crossing any boundaries. "She deserves a life surrounded by people who see how wonderful she is, Nate. That's-... that's all I've ever wanted for her." he settles on. No accusations. Just a purely selfless hope that his daughter can find the happiness that he so fully believes she's deserving of.
Nathan closes his eyes for a moment, inhaling a deep breath before he speaks again. Whether he acknowledge the sublte accusation, or even knew there was one there, he doesn't show it. "We do... I do." He sets down another plate, keeping his focus on that and that alone. He can't quite bring himself to look at Francois as he speaks and he isn't sure why. "You're right. She hasn't had the smoothest road. It's been bumpy,
cruel... downright awful. But despite all that, she still finds ways to smile. To be kind, caring, selfless. Wonderful." He draws another plate from the soapy water, staring intently at it as he scrubs away a particularly stubborn piece of meat that has clung to the ceramic. "So much so that you have a house on Christmas filled with laughter and happiness." He sets the plate down, a soft clatter as it rests against
the others. "She is wonderful, Frank. Trust me when I say that we can all see it." He finally looks back to Leah's father, a small, genuine smile on his face as he gives him a single, firm nod.
Francois falls silent as Nathan begins to speak and his work comes to a halt, gaze fixed to the counter. A soft, somber smile crosses his lips the longer the younger man speaks, culminating in another small nod. "She is." he agrees softly, glancing back Nathan's way just in time to meet his gaze. He holds it for a moment, making a silent agreement to take the man at his word before shifting his attention back to his task. He lets
out a deep breath, as if he had been holding it, and utters a soft, but sincere, "...Okay." to the man's final sentiment. It was never his intention to badger the man his daughter was dating. That's not what any of this has been about for him. She's a grown woman and just about the most capable person he's ever met. She can make decisions for herself. This was about his own peace of mind. An assurance that his daughter's
happiness isn't in the hands of someone who is going to take her for granted. Another silence settles in as the pair continue to work. A comfortable silence. The reflection of the Christmas lights bounce off of the kitchen walls, changing colors rhythmically as Christmas music fills in the gap left by the silence.
Nathan allows the smile to persist, although that seems to come much more easily now, as Francois returns to his task. He turns back to the sink and returns to his previous task, letting the comfortable silence fill the air for a few minutes more. There was no deception in his words. He knew that. He's worked with mercs, PMCs and bounty hunters for a few years now, but it's only with Redrock and Sandbeck that he's felt
comfortable. And confident enough to say things like they are good people. He truly believed that Leah was surrounded by people who cared about her there. He finishes up the last of the washing, scrubbing away at the last plate until it literally squeaks. "There," he says, drying his hands off on a towel.
Francois continues to work in silence. After he finished preparing three generous servings for their guests to take home, he moved on to storing the remainder of the leftovers. He's still in the process of putting the food into more manageable containers when Nathan finishes with the dishes. When the younger man speaks up, he looks his way, passing an idle glance at the stack of dishes. "I can take care of the rest of this." he
says with a polite smile as he gestures towards the remaining food, freeing Nathan of his duties. It's mostly just finishing cutting up and storing the rest of the large bird anyway. All of the other food has been placed into more manageable containers so it can easily be shoved into the fridge once the periodic snacking has ended for the night.
Nathan looks across to Francois with a cocked eyebrow. "You sure? Don't mind sticking around and helping you out some more, if you'd like?" He rubs his chin, where the stubble that he kept has grown into a slightly thicker scruff. "I have this terrible feeling that someone is going to pelt me with snowballs the moment I step outside." He pauses, tilts his head in thought. "Then again, pretty sure that's an appropriate
feeling to have when around Leah or my sister." He shakes the thought away. "Anyway, you sure you don't want me to finish this stuff off?"
Francois lets a genuine snort slip out. It's a valid fear. He's a veteran of the snowball wars himself and he has many-a-wounds to prove it. "I'm sure." the older man offers. "Besides, if I keep you any longer my daughter is going to start getting paranoid." he snickers, already turning back to the counter. "Go on."
Nathan chuckles softly and sets down the towel. "Alright." He turns to leave, but comes to a stop, turning back to Francois with a small smile. "Thanks for the talk, Francois. I hope... well, guess I hope you approve of this guy." He gestures to himself, chuckling once more with an accompanying shrug.
Francois returns to his previous task, but doesn't get very far before his attention is drawn right back to Nathan. The question draws that kind smile back out of him. He gives a few soft nods. "You seem like a good man, Nathan." he offers. Unlike those who have judged his daughter so harshly from little more than a look at her amp, he knows well enough that it takes more than a passing glance or, in Nathan's case, a holiday
dinner and a heart-to-heart to measure someone's worth. But good first impressions have their place, too, and it's not hard to see that Nathan has left a good one. His gaze dips low briefly before he adds, "But it's not my approval you should be concerned over."
Nathan rubs the back of his neck, smiling a little awkwardly. That final sentence from Francois does seem to put some alarm bells ringing in his head. "Yeah, I, uh, get that impression. Uh, the latter." He shrugs slightly again. "Anyway, I'll, uh, go outside and get pelted I suppose. You need a hand with anything, just give me a shout. I'll help out."
Francois cocks an eyebrow, not entirely aware of the misinterpreted meaning. Merely interpreting it as Leah always giving him a hard time, it garners a small snicker from him, gaze turning back to the big bird in front of him. He gives a small raise of the large carving knife in a farewell bid, offering an already-distracted, "Merci." in response to Nathan's continued offer of help.
Nathan throws a thumbs up to Francois' back. He heads back to where he hung up his caot, gloves, hat and scarf, donning them all before pulling on his boots. Now bundled up warmly, he opens the door and steps outside into the biting cold of the evening, already regretting leaving the warmth of the house.
Leah is seated on the cushioned bench on the porch, watching the others. She's sitting cross-legged, gently stroking a pooped out Zoe in her lap. Never one to be without a contingency plan, she's made sure to loop the handle of the leash around the armrest in case Zoe gets a sudden burst of energy and thinks about escaping. As the door slides open behind her, she casts a glance over her shoulder. Upon spotting Nathan, a soft smile
crosses her face. "Hey, Spark." she says, a bit of a teasing emphasis put on the nickname he shared with her as she searches his expression for any sign of how things went between him and her father.
Mendez runs a tight ship and has taken this snowman repair process very seriously. The head transplant went relatively smoothly, and with the snowman's new, bionic(stick) spine, no gust of wind will ever see him without again. Unfortunately, that was when he noticed damage to the radioulnar joint of the gnarled left arm(stick). Snapped in half like little more than a twig. Scouts(Tara & Sofia) were sent out to seek a replacement
arm(stick) as soon as he realized it. It, too, was installed with relatively few complications. Just some surface damage, but nothing that couldn't be fixed with a skin(snow) graft. But the wind can get treacherous out here, and that's why Mendez has determined that the snowman needed backup. And so he has spent the last 20 minutes or so issuing orders for the construction of a second snowman. With his efficient command,
it's well on its way to being a formidable creature. "Mmhmm. This will do." he gives a satisfactory nod as he pats at the upper torso of their second snowman, testing its structural integrity.
Tara has been working hard to execute Mendez' orders as they worked together to repair their frozen friend and provide him with a companion. She's currently rolling the head of the second snowman into shape, her normally pale cheeks red from the cold, and her colorful knit hat covered in a thin layer of snow. She hasn't said much, and she clearly takes their task quite seriously, but she seems content, and Zoe's obvious enjoyment of being
out in the snow has brought a smile to her face more than once. As she finishes she lifts the oversized snowball up, standing by next to Mendez.
Zoe is resting contently in Leah's lap after darting around like a furry blue pinball for the first few minutes. The gzzk's eyes are all closed, its fluffy tail sweeping idly back and forth as it enjoys the petting.
Nathan looks down to Leah with the curled up gzzk on her lap and he returns the smile in kind. He gives her a disarming look to reassure her that her father isn't getting a shotgun out to blast Nathan. "Hey," he says in return, stepping toward the cushioned bench and taking a seat besides her, careful not to disturb the snoozing Zoe. "Surprised Zoe didn't end up dragging you across Falls," he teases, leaning back and
looking toward the trio working on the snowman. His smile widens at seeing his sister and Tara working together with Mendez.
Sofia has been having a tipsy blast working on the snowman. She has stepped up to the immense task put out before her and has coordianted with her fellow Scout (Tara) to collect supplies and begin the assembly of the second snowman. She hasn't engaged Tara in coversation, not due to not wanting to, but rather feeling that there is need. They're enjoying themselves! And, luckily for Tara, Sofia hasn't taken any tumbles. At
this moment in time, she's currently working on shaping the upper torso, unable to suppress the creative segment of her brain. She's adding a bit more shape to the torso, using an acquired stick and her hands to do so. Her tongue pokes out of the corner of her mouth as she focuses, humming a merry song as she does.
Leah snickers softly, turning her gaze to the ball of fur in her lap as she continues to gently stroke its fur. "Oh, she certainly tried!" she says with a snicker. "I think I wore her out." she says, fond look crossing her face as she studies the creature, "She'll sleep good tonight." After another moment's consideration her green eyes shift back to Nathan. "So-... ummm-..." she begins, sucking her lips in momentarily as she tries
Mendez checks Sofia's work, pacing in a short line back and forth and offering a few approving nods before realizing Tara is waiting for further instructions. He's quick to check the integrity of the second bionic(stick) spine, gripping the end of it and giving it a gentle wiggle. When the torso doesn't tear itself apart, he gives Tara the all clear with a nod of his head. "Go on." he instructs, "Just like last time." With only one
arm, he's not able to be as hands on with the process as he'd prefer, but he does what he can to help Tara lift it onto the stick.
Tara gains a focus frown as she carefully lifts the head into place, pressing it down the stick until it rests against the torso. She has the makings of an expert snowman engineer with sufficient training. Given Sofia's inebriated state she's been doing the majority of the work, but she doesn't seem to mind at all, making sure to give the humming woman space to continue her no doubt vital artistic efforts as she places the head.
Nathan leans a little towards her, but looks up thoughtfully, rubbing his chin in deep thought. "Hmm. Well, he warned me about your outrageous eating habits, told me as many embarrasing tales as he could in the short time that we had and, uuuumm...". He trails off with a shit-eating smirk and gives her a gentle nudge in the side. "It went fine, I think. He's just doing what dads do best. Worry about their little girl and
the guy they decided to date. We talked a little and I think he was... happy? Well, he didn't pull out a shotgun and blast me, so I did something right anyway."
Sofia looks up with bright, mismatched eyes and smiles broadly, leaning away from the snowman to let the other two plant the head upon it. Well, at the rate of her artistic alterations, it seems to be looking more like a snowwoman. "Lookin' good! Teamwork! Das wird erstaunlich!" She claps her hands together in joy, her inebriated state amplifying her already joyous attitude tenfold. She continues with her artistic
crafting once the head has been placed, noticing finally that her brother has finally deigned to join them. She gives Mendez a subtle look and an inclination of her head towards the pair, but continues with her task for the moment. Mostly because she doesn't want to disturb Zoe. Cute little thing.
Leah narrows her eyes on Nathan when he begins explaining his time with Francois, which shifts to a wide-eyed look of terror at the thought of all the embarrassing stories he could've shared, her mind running through the possibilities as it shifts into 'damage control' mode. But when it becomes clear that he's joking, she merely glares at him with a flat, unamused look, rocking lazily in place from his nudge. But his confirmation
that things went well is quick to put the smile back on her place, shoulders relaxing a little. With a little snicker she settles against the backrest, eyes once more turning out towards the group of architects, seemingly content with just relaxing and watching them.
Mendez assists Tara in patting down the head, making sure it's firmly in place before stepping back and examining it firm a pleased nod. Sofia catches his attention out of the corner of his eye and he glances from her, then towards the pair on the porch. Then to Tara with a grim nod. "We pick our moment." he grunts quietly, not wanting Zoe caught in the crossfire.
Tara steps back after the head has been placed, hands on her hips as she inspects their progress on the construct. Her eyes widen a little when she notices Sofia's... contribution. She blinks a couple of times, but then Mendez' look draws her attention. It takes her a moment to catch up on what he means, but when she does her eyebrows furrow in concern, no doubt also worried about collateral damage. Still, a sharp nod and a very
conspicious glance at the pair on the porch follows. Nobody ever said subterfuge was her strongpoint.
Zoe might actually have fallen asleep, blissfully unaware of the plans being made against its chosen pillow.
Nathan lets out a small chuckle as Leah leans back, he too turning his focus back to the trio by the snowmen... uh, snowman and snowwoman. Just in time to see Tara glancing at them with a frown on her face. He blinks a few times, slowly leaning towards Leah and muttering, "Uh, is it just me or is Tara giving us the evil eye?" Given his conversation with Francois, Nate is now a wee bit on guard about those close to Leah.
Sofia grins at Mendez, nodding subtly as she continues to apply her own modifications to the snowwoman. Thinning out the torso a little, adding a bit more shape and so on. It's nothing major, just enough to distinguish between the two of them. "So! What's next, boss-man?" She looks up to Mendez once more, continuing the deception of building a snowman, rather than biding their time to ambush Leah and Nate.
Leah cocks an eyebrow studying Tara from her position on the porch. A knowing smile crosses her lips, but she decides against letting Nathan in on her suspicions. "I think it's just you." she snickers. She shifts closer to Nathan as they watch the others, head eventually coming to rest on his shoulder. The only sign that she's even still awake is the way her hand continues to idly stroke Zoe's fur and the occasional soft snicker
that slips out at Sofia's creative liberties, Mendez' deadly serious instructions, or Tara's stone determination.
Mendez has carried on with the snowmann-and-womanning for the time being. Business as usual. He has a far better poker face than Tara. A permanent poker face, one might even say! But in between the finishing touches they've been putting on the snow-couple, he's also been amassing an armory. Using the positioning of their creations to camoflauge it, he's slowly built up a sizeable collection of snowballs. But the time for
preparation is over. War is upon them. "Hey!" he calls out to the porch-dwellers, shooting one final, knowing look between Sofia and Tara. "Take a look at these! Tell us what you think!" He gives a roll of his right shoulder to adjust the way his jacket hangs off of it. Can't have that getting in the way. And he palms a snowball, keeping it concealed as he takes a position beside their creations.
Leah perks up as Mendez addresses them, head lifting slightly from Nathan's shoulder. "Hm?" she hums before shooting Nathan a look. She shifts in place to slowly uncross her legs, carefully lifting Zoe up and placing her down on the cushion beside her. She gives the leash a quick check, ensuring it's secured to the arm rest but with more than enough slack for Zoe to roam the porch, should she so choose to, before standing from the
bench and lazily meandering over towards the porch railing and leaning against it. A bit of snow falls free from the railing, sprinkling to the ground below as she studies the pair of snow people with a big, bright smile.
Zoe lets out a sleepy, displeased noise upon being rudely relocated, but quickly goes back to sleep.
Tara straightens up when she realizes that the time has come, looking almost comically suspicious as she shuffles closer to the pair of snowpeople for what's obviously no reason at all. It doesn't help that her gaze is firmly on Leah and Nathan.
Nathan had settled comfortably on the porch, letting his head lean atop Leah's as they sit their in blissful silence. However, when Mendez summons them, he sits up and blinks rapidly. Seems he was actually in a position to take a brief nap, despite the cold air outside. He looks down at Leah and shrugs, clearly confused as to why the snow-people need their approval. However, it gives him an opportunity to stretch himself
out. So, he stands, cranes his neck and rolls his shoulders before plodding alongside Leah. He rests on arm on the railing and looks over to them all, raising a hand. "They look, uh, they look great!"
Sofia continued her artistic additions and, once completed, she stepped back to admire her work. And she knew she did good. However, at opportune moments, she had helped add to the veritable armoury that they had been building, easily able to make more and more snowballs to assist Mendez. She had even customised a few with little scrawlings of words in her native tongue, with the exception of one which simply reads,
'Smile'. She stands up, standing at an angle to conceal their weapons and beams brightly over to the pair. She pouts as Nathan and Leah remain at a distance, putting her hands on her hips and calling out, "Stop being lazy, Nate! C'mon! We've worked hard while you two lazed about!" She grins, knowing that that'll get a rise out of her brother.
Nathan bristles at the accusation of being lazy. "I was overseeing from a distance, that's called working smart! Fine, fine!" He throws his hands up and gives Leah a look of 'Can you believe this?' before making his way down the steps on the porch and towards the snow creations.
Leah snickers at Sofia and Nathan's bickering, but she doesn't seem to have any plan on moving. "We can see them fine from here!" she assures, reaching out to halt Nathan's departure with a tug at the elbow of his jacket. She even shoots him a small, bling-and-you'll-miss-it glance before she leans a bit heavier against the railing and scrutinizes the trio's work. Her brows briefly furrow and she sucks in her lips with a low hum,
as if she's about to pass some great critique before that bright smile slips back out and she bounces up on the tips of her toes. "I like-..." she manages before her thought is interrupted by the call of war.
Mendez frowns slightly as the pair remain in their fortress. His stance widens and he shoots a concerned glance Sofia's way. Fine. Nobody said it was going to be easy. He packs the snowball in his hand a bit tighter with a squeeze of his fist and plants a heavy boot in the snow. He's right handed, so throwing with his left arm won't produce quite the same force, but he's an athlete, dammit! He'll persevere. "NOW!" he roars as he
Tara is about the least aggressive person you could find, and she's not much of a marksman either, but she still sends a snowball flying Leah's way, the throw careful and light. It's an overhanded, arcing throw that leaves her briefly on the toes of her boots.
Zoe 's ears twitch up in response to the warcry, the gzzk's head briefly lifting and looking at the humans with disinterest before going back to resting.
Nathan recoils back to Leah's side as she grasps his elbow, bringing him back to the railing. He looks momentarily confused, eyebrow perking at her before he looks back to the snow-people. He merely folds his arms across his midsection and looks to Leah as she begins her review of the snow-people. This decision, however, proves to be a fatal mistake for him.
Sofia frowns, exchanging the glance with Mendez. However, his change in stance causes the musician to spring into action! The battle has begun! On this day, one Tennhausen shall stand, one shall fall! She snatches one of her concealed snowballs and takes a few steps forward, pulling her arm back and letting loose with the projectile. She may be tipsy, but she is a perfectionist at heart. She has trained for precision in
musical craft and other areas of her life! She shall not waste a single snowball this day! The projectile soars towards her target. And what target would any good sibling choose?
Nathan turns back as war is declared, eyes widening in surprise. "Wh- pah!" His head rocks back in surprised as a compact ball of snow strikes him square between the eyes, launched by his darling sister. He splutters, momentarily blinded as the snow sticks to his eyelashes and creeps its way through his winter clothing.
The ambush has been executed! The battle has begun! There's no turning back now! But the attackers have the element of surprise. This should be over before it even begins. And, despite Mendez using his off-hand, his aim seems true. Until...
Leah's hand snaps up and a lightning strike of blue wraps around her. The pair of snowballs leveled at her hang in the air, as if time itself has stopped. She lets out a deep sigh of annoyance which is undercut by an escaping snort that she desperately tries to wrangle as Nathan is nailed right in the face. She may have let that one through... Ramping the dramatic flair up to 11, she puts on her best villain voice. "Did you
really think that would work again?" she asks, Mendez' last snowball ambush still fresh in her mind. She paces a few steps along the porch before turning her attention back to her attackers, the two snowballs floating ineffectually in the air. "Honestly? I'm not even mad. Just disappointed." she says smugly. Her green eyes turn to the orbs of white, studying them curiously before she gives a playful tilt of her head and
turns her hand, palm upwards, as her fingers rotate as if turning some sort of invisible knob. The snowballs both begin to rotate as if puppeted by her, shimmering as the light from the porch dances off of them. With a sudden balling of her fist, the two snowballs expand into thousands of flakes of snow that hang in the air for but a brief moment like shimmering stars in the mounted lights before dropping to the ground. The
counter attack begins! "NATE! RIGHT FLANK!" she shouts, pressing one hand against the porch's railing as she vaults over it, launching herself into the frenzy!
Mendez recoils from the throw, slightly off balance. He holds his breath as the icy projectile hurdles towards its intended target when, suddenly... nothing! It causes a sudden furrow of the large man's brows and a double take before he realizes what has happened. "You-... CHEATER!" he growls. But Leah's theatrics only serve to buy him time. Time that he plans to use. "Defensive positions!" he calls out to his companions. Not that
they ever discussed any fallback locations. But he retreats to the backside of the snowpeople, already gathering another round to prepare to weather whatever vicious attack awaits them.
Tara blinks in surprise as the snowballs stop mid-air, clearly not having anticipated this development. She just stands there with wide eyes, the guiltest of looks on her face. Mendez' call snaps her out of her stupor and she ducks down, grabbing another snowball and huddling behind her meat(snow)shield as she awaits direction - she lacks the battlefield experience for independent action in the field, after all.
Nathan splutters, wiping away the debris from his face as he shoots a glare up at Leah, just as she vaults over the railing. "You could've stopped that one!" He cries out after her. However, combat mode is now engaged. The sibling rivalry is reignited. And the thirst for victory reigns supreme. He takes to Leah's order, clearing the steps of the porch with one leap as he begins to flank right, scooping up a handful of
snow and rapidly packing it as quickly as he can. He sights in on his two clearest targets as he begins his flank. Tara and Sofia. Excellent.
Sofia whoops as she lands the first blow against her brother. However, the excitement quickly turns to awe struck shock as Leah manifests her biotics and blocks the other two missiles. And so the secret weapon of the war has been revealed. She grabs one of her pre-packed snowballs and ducks down behind a small mound of snow, adopting the commanded positions. She scans through the flurry, spotting her brother moving into a
flanking position. "Tara, get Nate! He's trying to get around us!" She yells out, a laugh catching on the end of it.
Leah shouts a sharp, "There was no time!" but the giggle undearneath it probably gives her away. "Shut up and sling some snooooooooooooooow~" she orders, leaning down to scoop up a pile, mid run. A brief jab at the air with her other hand causes another blink of light to spark from her and a flurry of snow erupts just beside Mendez. It looks as if a mortar shell just went off beside the large man.
Mendez braces against his fortified(snowman) location, bringing one hand up to cover his head as snow rains down against him. Sofia's warning causes him to shoot a look towards the circling flanker. "Cover the flank, Tara!" he agrees, though in terminology she probably doesn't quite understand. He's already scooping up another of his tightly-packed pre-made projectiles. "The flank! Cover the flank!" he repeats over the roar of