fatealteration | (no subject)

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"...and the newcomers are settling in pretty well. One of them is even a teacher, so we might be able to begin dividing classes further," Juli said. She turned the page over in her notes. She didn't need them; virtually everything she had to say was committed to memory, but she felt more secure having them anyway. She looked up from the notebook. "I think it'll be a good move. There's been some behavioral issues among some of the students and the extra challenge might settle them."

That wasn't all that Juli had to report to Giorno Giovanna, but she thought she pause for comment while they were still on a high note.

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Shepard thought a second before she answered. "I am, but not badly."

Chilchuck gestured to the others to stay where they were and hanging back. He could hear the wariness in her voice, and he could hardly fault her.

“Here, walk towards me. There are four other men with me. We’re from a small community just up the hill. We can help.”

"Okay," Shepard said. "I'm coming out."

She emerged from behind the smokey haze. She squinted, trying to adjust her eyes to the new light. As her vision adjusted, she was greeted by the sight of a young boy. A child. She didn't know whether or not to feel relieved or more wary; some groups had no problems using children to get the upper hand.

"Where are the others?" He had said there were four of them total, but she only saw one.

“I’m not a kid, by the way.” She—whoever she was—was clearly adept with controlling her demeanor but Chilchuck was too used to seeing the skeptical glint in peoples’ eyes.

When he gave the signal, the others descended from further up the path. The biggest guy had a portable stretcher on his back.

“Can you walk alright? It’s about a mile and a half’s trek.”

Shepard raised an eyebrow. Not a kid? She almost said it aloud, but managed to stop her lips from moving.

"Yeah, should be able to make it."

’She’s strong.’ That was what Giorno thought when he saw her. When their eyes met, he could tell right away she was trying to study him as much as he was her.

He could already tell there was no one else around when he had touched the tree he was stationed against earlier. It was just her. He gave Chilchuck a slight nod to progress and lead the way back. It was dangerous to linger too long.

“I’m Giorno,” he said, introducing himself and then the others. “For lack of a better word, we’re from a group of refugees.”

"I'm Shepard." Titles were meaningless here, so she didn't bother with them. "I think we are all refugees at this point."

Giorno looked up - the sun was almost disappeared and the rain clouds were converging. It would quell the smoke and clean the air.

“You were attacked, weren’t you?”

"Yeah. Have you encountered them?

So, he was right. He hadn’t known for certain but the damage he could make out on the ship’s exterior told a story. The way Shepard acted when she emerged helped his theory, and now she was confirming it.

“Possibly. Who attacked you?”

"The Zaibach Military."

Chilchuck glanced back to share a look with Giorno. The other two large men couldn’t hide their unease.

“Yes. We’ve heard of them. We’ll share what we know when we’ve reached the villa.”

“After dinner.” The danger had passed for the time being and Chilchuck wasn’t going to talk shop on an empty stomach. That was going to go double for Giorno.

’Since when was I the guy who reminded people to eat?’

--

"Wait, so you're saying you're older than me?" Shepard directed the butt of her drink in Chilchuck's direction. It had been a long time since she had last drank. There hadn't exactly been a lot of time to imbibe once she found herself whisked away to wherever-this-was with just the Normandy by her side.

"Psh. Let me guess--you're maybe 30?" Chilchuck was already tipsy by the time the newest newcomer found her way to the pub room. It was easily his favorite place in the villa with the low ceiling, fine woodwork, and most importantly--the plentiful ale. A few drinks with her and he was feeling pretty good.

"I'm old enough to be the father of half tha' rescue party. I don't someone of your race to get it right away, but don't forget it, you hear?"

"Close," Shepard said with a smile. "I'll be 29 this year."

’Ha!’ He was pretty decent at this. Tall-men aged slower than his people, but…

“Yeah, I figured.” Chilchuck gestured his pint towards her face. “You don’t look far off from my party leader back where I’m from.”

"You had a team you were working with?" Shepard took a swig of her drink.

“I was an adventurer. My speciality’s dungeon crawling.” Chilchuck sunk his chin into his palm as he reminisced. “I’ve been in a lot of different parties over the years, but to tell you the truth…I was thinking of retiring after this last job I was on.”

Huh. "You already old enough to retire? Or just tired of the dungeon life?"

“A bit of both.” Chilchuck’s warm expression dimmed. This last ‘job’ was too crazy just to drop on someone he’d just met. “I was planning on starting a locksmith business…you know. Something quiet.”

He took another swig.

“Then I ended up here.”

"Not interested in starting up a locksmith business here?" Her tone was teasing, but she was half-serious about it.

"Pft. With how many random trinkets Her Highness brings me to crack open I might as well start charging." Chilchuck laughed...and then he sighed.

"...So? What about you, Commander?" He peered at her over the brim of his mug as he drank. The candlelight was pretty flattering on her. There was something about her that reminded him of Namari.

"Me?" Shepard wasn't used to people asking questions about her, but then again, most people back home knew her story. Whether she wanted them to or not.

"I'm military back home." That was probably obvious. "I figure it'll stay that way until I die. Don't think retirement is in the cards for me." She appear terribly bothered by that -- and she wasn't, either. Like Anderson, she wasn't terribly fond of the quiet life.

"That so? Well, it's not so bad to die on your own terms." To punctuate his statement, Chilchuck polished off his mug. "Actually...it might be the only freedom any of us can hope for. I should know--I've died in crap ways for crap pay."