best way to socialize

[eighttotwelve]

who ; Thane Krios & Noble-Six
what ; Awkward assassin socializing!
where ; Garden Zone - Desert.
when ; Sometime after Thane set up a paint bucket on Zaeed's door.
warning(s) ; Potential violence from sparring, assassin talk?

Comments

[hyperlethality]

Out on patrol and not even bothered by the heat, despite the half ton armor she is sporting, Noble Six calmly walks through the arid Zone. There hardly isn't much - it is, after all, a desert - but this is one of the Zones she hardly sees, and it is merely better than sitting around... something she disturbingly notes is happening more often.

Carrying only a pistol on her hip and a designated marksman rifle on her back might be strange, but is only habitual. Besides, who knew? Could come in handy.

Her thoughts are interrupted when she sees a figure in the distance... a figure she can recognize. Walking closer, Six notices it's...

"Thane."

[eighttotwelve]

A Spartan is a little hard to ignore; seven feet tall and in armor, usually. They tend to have a habit of standing out. Of all the Spartans, though, he really only finds himself interacting with two. Thom, and this one.

As she approaches, Thane stands, folding his arms behind his back. A light nod is given in her direction.

"Six. Good afternoon," he welcomes her. "I was not expecting company out here."

[hyperlethality]

She, in turn, gives a nod of greeting back, and stops only a few feet away from him. Her posture is straight yet somehow relaxed, like the good soldier she is.

"Patrol," is her easy enough answer to this seemingly random encounter. "You come by here often?"

Given his almost reptilian-like looks... this could be very understandable.

[eighttotwelve]

A small chuckle is earned. "I see." You never know when the sand is in peril.

Then again, he could hardly blame her for being so careful. With individuals like Logan around, with A.I. like SHODAN, it was impossible to determine whether or not anyone could be up to something.

"On occasion, when I need a moment to myself, I go where it is most like home. My people are from a desert planet."

[hyperlethality]

Because the sand is that important. No, really.

Her head cocks to the side at that, "I sort of figured that was the case... if you'll forgive the assumption."

[eighttotwelve]

A hand is raised, to indicate he is not offended. "Forgiven; it doesn't take a xenoscientist to determine something like that."

Thane approaches her, but only by a few feet; as much as they get along, he isn't as certain how willing she is to permit his presence. Thom he knows by now, but Six a little less so.

"There is not much to find in this place. No many find it as comforting as I would, I suppose."

[hyperlethality]

Six merely watches him. She's not bothered by his presence, and she can't forget all the times he's proven his worth. That, and he is part of Commander Shepard's crew, who is looking to be made up a bunch of good, skilled people.

She merely shrugs at that last comment.

"To each their own. You never know, though. This could be a good hiding place." And back to that patrol thing.

[eighttotwelve]

No increased tensity. So noted. That's good; Thane isn't worried for himself, but rather Six's own sense of comfort. Relaxed, he paces, more to burn off extra energy than anything else.

Always extra now. Too much sometimes. He isn't sure where the anxiety begins and ends, and where his improved organs have helped him be better than ever. Harder, too, since his line of work doesn't permit him to do much.

Times like this, he wishes he had other skills beyond killing people.

"A wide open desert doesn't provide much cover," Thane comments. "I suppose if you went to the cliffs and knew how to survive in this weather, then it could be."

[hyperlethality]

To that, Six nods, "Had to take care of a group of insurrectionists who thought hiding out in the desert gave them a better advantage." And by the tone of her voice, all soft and neutral, the plan did not.

And if Thane had voiced that wish, Six could almost share the same sentiment. Yet another part of her mind would rationalize she has been trained to do this since she was young; why try to eliminate it?

Of course, the Spartan did not know about Thane's own history. Yet that time of working together to destroy the Marker did provide insight that Thane is clearly better than your average mercenary.

[eighttotwelve]

"They were fools," he remarks in almost a conversational tone. By his perception, most individuals versus Six likely would not stand a chance. If she is indeed anything like Shepard, they clearly would not.

Thane does eventually pause, folding his hands behind his back again; he looks back to Six. "If you wish, I can assist you in your patrol. I have explored this zone extensively."

And he never forgets the details.

[hyperlethality]

"That would be appreciated. Are you sure I'm not interrupting you, though?"

Before she walked in, he did seem preoccupied and did seem well content with being by himself. Her walking is just her greeting a familiar, friendly face.

[eighttotwelve]

"I was attempting to meditate. I assure you, nothing was interrupted."

Much to his own dismay, meditation has done little to nothing to quell him. Not that she needs to know that.

"Please. Lead the way, Six."

[hyperlethality]

"Understood."

And off they go! Six walks on, keeping a leisurely pace and turning her head slightly to speak to Thane as they talk.

"How have you been lately?"

[eighttotwelve]

Easily, Thane follows; he keeps his eyes set ahead of him, and all of his senses aware. It's unlikely anything will happen, but it never hurts to be careful.

The question is met with silence at first. Simply because Thane has a difficult time gauging between how honest he ought to be and what Six needs to hear. Lying is not a preference, but he has no love of sharing his woes so easily.

"Unused. I feel as though I gather dust as time goes on. But I think you could relate to that."

A truthful answer with no details is a good answer, he determines.

[hyperlethality]

"I could," she replies, with a hint of resignation buried in her tone. As a Spartan, her place is on the battlefield. Here? At times, she wonders if this is a slow death... in some odd Afterlife.

Then, when she thinks about it her, her next thought makes her voice a little lighter as she says,

"I do try to shake off the dust with a spar here and there." May or may not be an indirect offer, but it is still there.

[eighttotwelve]

"You and the other Spartans, I presume. A few days ago, I had one with Seven," Thane muses. "It helps. The focus on a goal, even if it is for a brief moment."

There is a pause, a consideration. Yes, a spar would be nice, but.

"I am curious. Someone on the network, not long ago, inquired if people had lasting effects after the Marker." He glances at Six. "Have you... noticed anything?"