Familiar Faces, Unlikely Places {Flashback, Closed}

[Deleted]

Before Jasper; Savannah, Georgia; 10:30pm
Outfit

So far, tonight was a slow start to what was her 'last night' to hang out with her older brother and a couple of friends. One bar, was a bit of a dud and they stayed only long enough to have a couple of beers (with the bottles being incredibly cheap, why not? Had been Nell's reasoning). Wandering the Savannah streets, her brother had the bright idea they should get some food before going further with their search of a better, livelier bar.

Of course, his idea of a great place to get food was some too expensive cafe that made her wanted to barf with how 'cute' and 'quaint' it was. The woman kept sending her brother the death glare, that he nonchalantly ignored as he pushed the door open. “You're still payin', right asshole?” The brunette asked as Eric glanced over his shoulder at her. “Yeah, I wouldn't drag you in here if I wasn't. You're too damn cheap for someplace like this.” He commented, ducking out of the way before he could be punched by her. There was laughter from the other two of the group and she rolled her eyes.

“Ya know, I could leave you three to have tea time while I find a real bar...” More laughter, this time it was from Eric who pulled her into a halfhearted hug. “Yeah yeah, so you said at the last place.” Nell managed to smile a little at her brother, but she let her eyes fell over the place he decided would give them a little sustenance. She made a not so discreet look of disgust and she was promptly 'punched' in the arm by one of her friends. “Rude much, Nell?” The taller girl asked and the brunette shrugged a shoulder. “Since when have I been the sorta person for a place like this?”

“About the last time a bull made it out of a china shop without breaking a single dish.” The other guy of the group replied with a grin before it faded the moment her fist connected with his arm. “Okay, okay...I'll shut up – shit.” Though, she might as well try to enjoy it as she continued to follow her brother her eyes once more glancing around the place before they fell on someone that looked pretty similar. The older woman was alone, and it took a moment or two before she recognized the face.

“Hey, I'll be right back. Order me anything.” Nell told the group before walking towards the woman, tugging at her tank top a little to straighten it out. “Ma'am.” She spoke up, giving the woman a salute. “Didn't think I'd see you about these parts, Thana.” She mentioned, slowly smiling at the recruiter. “Probably don't recognize me, but I'm still the same ol' Nell Collins for the most part.”

(I hope this works for you Rumi! If you want me to change anything, please let me know <3)

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Thana decided she hated the city. Not because of the colorful history. Savannah was a port town, one of the primary ones in the state. The buildings were old, the mansions sprawling and stately, the houses (presumably) haunted. The cobblestoned streets boasted of a time past; ruts worn into the roads by countless carriages. She didn't hate the city because of the mix of people. They were friendly enough and spoke in southern accents as thick as warm caramel.

No, she hated the city because it was humid as hell. She was downright miserable.

Every time she stepped outside, she caught her breath against the thick heat that made her lungs feel like they were filling with water. How did anyone enjoy this weather? She couldn't stand leaving her hotel room, even if it was to go to work. More than once she'd almost quit the assignment, but didn't believe Silas would be entirely pleased with such a weak notion as weather. And he would be right in that regard. If only she wasn't so...unsuited for the heat. Give her ice and snow and she was fine. Humidity past a certain degrade? She started to feel twitchy.

Unfortunately, she couldn't stay cooped up all week. Giving in to her picky nature, she left the hotel to go treat herself with a nice treat at an upscale cafe. She wasn't normally that impressed with coffee, but the place had caught her eye when she'd first arrived to the town and had been nibbling on her sub-conscious. Of course, she would enjoy the outing more if she could wear something less stifling. But the random bruises and scrapes she often got during MECH training and active duties garnered too much attention. She'd settled for a striking, yet hot outfit in her usual upscale flair. Next time she was going to wear something breathable...

At the shop, she'd brought her tablet to skim over various assignments, and had a over priced drink set at hand. She barely gave anyone in the cafe part of her attention but the chime of the door opening made her flick a look up out of idle curiosity. The woman accompanying a group of less interesting individuals caught Thana's attention. She knew that person, but for the life of her, she couldn't place the face. There was something about the nose that tugged at her memory...

She wasn't surprised when the young woman approached her, and she schooled her features into a carefully neutral, if not curious, look. The salute and the drawl sealed the memory with clarity. Collins. Thana remembered her for being quite...what was the polite term? Rambunctious seemed to fit the bill. A bit rough around the edges but Thana didn't pick suitable candidates for their peaches and cream charm. Those with mettle joined the armed services.

"Collins." Thana nodded at the salute, gesturing to a chair before her. Casually, she tapped the button on the bottom of the tablet to tab it out to the welcome screen. Let the woman assume she was embarrassed by what she had been reading.

"Please, take a seat, if you have the time." She glanced at her companions before half smiling at the woman. "I would like to hear about this 'for the most part.'"

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While Thana was feeling like her lungs were filling with water, with 'thanks' to this humidity that was all too common this time of year, Nell was feeling right at home. Sure, it was a little on the warmer side but it wasn't nothing a bred and born southerner could handle – or at least it wasn't for the most part. Plus, a part of her was going to miss being around Savannah in the summer time. Even if the weather can get a little too hot for comfort, some of her favorite memories was sucking on chili dogs by the Tastee Freez (though the closest one was in Charleston now) before heading to Tybee Beach to escape some of the heat.

When she wanted to be, she could be stupidly sentimental when it came to those memories. It was probably why it made it easy for her to remember people. Sometimes, conversations could be damn memorable and a couple she had with Thana back when she was a teenager were what she could call some of the more memorable ones. Sure the advice given to her went through one ear and out the other, but that was how Nell could (and still) be with her stubborn nature.

If Thana remembered her for being the rambunctious type, that was also something that Nell still was. She held her own against all of the testosterone around her, rolling with the punches as per usual. The other woman spoke, and her smile widened a bit more – glad to not be completely forgotten. Not that Nell would of blamed her, it had been a long ass time since she last seen the taller recruiter. With the tablet being tabbed to the welcome screen, the shorter brunette didn't think much of it. After all whatever Thana had been reading was her own business, none of hers.

“Yeah, I got time before they start harassing my sorry ass.” Nell mentioned as she shot the group a little smile, she caught her brother rolling his eyes a little at her, but she ignored it for the most part. Pulling the chair out in order to sit down, she reached up to brush her short hair behind her ear. “Well, I'll have you know I enlisted once I turned eighteen. I'm a E-4 Specialist now.” That smile was a full blown grin now, figuring that the recruiter would like hearing just how far she had came from the scrappy kid. Granted, that wasn't saying much considering she was still pretty scrappy.

[Deleted]

I know.

Thana feigned surprise at the news, a quirk of both her eyebrows, a slight widening of the eyes. Maybe a little twitch at the lips. All small tics to convey an emotion she didn't feel. She knew exactly what level Collins was. MECH kept intel on recruitments from the fresh faced start, to the burned out finish. This Eleanor hadn't reached that point yet, thankfully, so there was still potential for her. Unfortunately, as with most prospects, Eleanor's temperament was the problem.

"Congratulations. Are you happy with your choice?" Calmly watching her, Thana reached for her cup of coffee. She'd chosen a mild roast with a splash of almond milk. Unlike some chains, the brew wasn't as bitter as she expected. As much as she loved her country, she knew full well that the average American couldn't tell dish water swill from good coffee, if they were to be judged by their basic tastes.

She kept her attention on the woman and partly on the group waiting for her. She didn't recognize them, but didn't expect herself to. Thana had a simplistic memory that could be categorized as two modes: useful and not-useful. Eleanor was currently residing in the better compartment and therefore was easier to recall. Her brother (if judging by familiar features and that was a half guess at best) was a complete mystery to her. Except for whatever clues she got by casually watching him.

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If only Nell knew about the tabs kept on her and if only she knew what the group did. She honestly would have been disgusted by the idea of tearing apart sentient beings. Which, while she had a reputation for a foul mouth and (at times) short tempered, she did have a decent enough moral system. One that told her that she couldn't just do things like that, and if he did? They'd weigh incredibly heavy on her conscious.

As Thana asked her about if she was happy with her choice, the brunette couldn't help the grin that stretched across her face and reached her bright blue eyes. “Damn right I am, couldn't have been a better fit for me.” Nell mentioned with a shrug of her shoulder. "I'm actually moving out of state soon, around next Thursday. Headed for Nevada for a new base.” She gestured towards her brother. “My brother over there thought it'd be a good idea to drag my sorry ass around for 'one last hurrah' before he was limited to a handful of times a year.” Nell mentioned with a small chuckle.

“So how've you been? Still a recruiter?” Hey, no one could really blame the woman for being curious. After all, last time she seen Thana had been years ago and she didn't really pinned the older woman as a fancy clothes wearing type. Granted, she shouldn't be that surprised over something so small. The older brunette always did seem like she had a slight interest in the finer things in life. AKA the sort of things Nell could never really get behind. Which, was a slight lie as she would get weak in the knees over some expensive car and good whiskey that cost a bit more than some swill found in some of the crummier bars.

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As taciturn as the woman seemed, Thana actually held an interest in listening to someone talk. There was a huge difference in giving her attention to some subordinate only for them to stammer and nervously spat out nothing than, say, having a casual conversation for conversation's sake. As she watched the younger woman speak, she could tell a great many things about her. Her tone of voice, the way she idly held herself, even the words she chose gave a tremendous amount of clues to her inner thoughts. Thana found that the enthusiasm Collins held was genuine which made the woman an honest creature to a fault.

Pity, that. If only she something sharper under that rough and tumble surface, she could have been an ideal MECH candidate. There was a certain amount of fortitude one had to have to be selected to join the covert organization.

Nodding, Thana was just setting aside her cup when the mention of Nevada had her action's freezing for a split second. Was it sheer coincidence that the young woman was being sent to that location, of all military locations scattered throughout the US?

"Yes, I still recruit. It's a modest living. More rewarding for the travel and enterprising students I get to meet." She smiled, the act actually genuine. The recruiting was an easy side career and converting the impressionable young to the 'glamor' of a military future served her own needs. "You mentioned being a specialist. In what field?"

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Honest was something that Nell tended to be, specifically brutally honest. She was working on dialing that back a little, but to be perfectly honest she hadn't succeeded in doing such a thing just yet. Then again, it was just in her personality to be pretty blunt and no bullshit.

She didn't quite catch the stutter in Thana's actions, but her attention had been diverted by her brother and friends who were finally ordering some food and drinks. When Thana spoke, Nell glanced back at her and nodded for the rewards that the older brunette received. “Mainly here on the east coast? Or do you go all over?” She asked curiously, though the other woman's question made her smile widen. “91B.” Wheeled vehicle mechanic, it was fitting for a mechanics daughter. It was also fitting for someone as into cars as she was.

“My head for cars helped out a bit, when I was sent to Iraq. The guys called me a damn lucky charm with how many times I was able to get the car fixed in tight spots, quickly.” Her shoulders shrugged a little. “Dunno what they were thinking, callin' me that. I just wanted to do my part in getting everyone home in one piece.” Which, was something she did to the best of her abilities. Her efforts in getting the broken down cars up and running again certainly helped, and she didn't remember anyone getting seriously injured while they covered her when she made repairs.

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"I'm glad for you, Collins. It sounds like your life is laying out straight and true for you." Thana knit her hands together and leaned on the table. As much as she could, she meant the words. Thana couldn't deny the woman had a skill with machinery that few had. Even if she wasn't with MECH, she was helping out the nation with her talents.

However, the niggling feeling that something was off still bothered her. Perhaps she was just being far too paranoid and seeing the enemy everywhere. Surely she was. She put in too many long hours with MECH and this was the result of such dedication.

"I do travel. I enjoy the sights and change of scenery. Not everyone is given this freedom to do what they love and get paid for it." She smiled, the gesture almost reaching her eyes. "When I was a child, I never got the chance to leave town. Not until I joined the armed forces."

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“Mean's a lot comin' from you, Ma'am.” And she meant it, especially since she remembered asking the older woman a lot of questions that truly helped make her choice to join the army a reality. Plus, she felt the woman had been the most honest of the recruiters she talked to – which certainly gave Thana a few stars in her book.

As for that niggling feeling the other woman was getting, well...Nell naturally had no idea of it. She also had no idea what being sent to Nevada really meant, but that bridge would be crossed once she got out of Georgia and into the dessert.

She smiled a little at Thana's words and she couldn't help as she nodded her head at the words. “I know the feeling. I remember heading out to the beach was a treat.” She commented. “Now she's the one doing all the traveling, and doesn't even bother bringing back tacky souvenirs.” A deeper voice spoke up. Her brother was walking over to them and Nell gave him a mock glare. “Hey, who said I was gonna get any for your sorry ass?” She asked. “You made a promise, a drunken promise, but still.”

Nell's eyes rolled as she gave the tall man a halfhearted punch in the arm. “Thana, this is Eric – he's my big brother.” She explained. “Eric, this is Thana – she's a recruiter I knew from high-school.” Eric couldn't help the smile that was growing on his face. “Nice to meet you, but seriously wish you were around to teach my kid sister how the heck to dress before she got in the army. She's a true lost cause no-OW!” Nell had punched him a little harder. “Come on Nell I'm only joking around, shit.”

“I forgot to mention he's a jackass with a big mouth.” The brunette commented with a little shrug to accompany her grin.

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Those flat eyes of Thana's watched the two, a faint smile curling her lips. It was...odd, seeing two siblings bond with one another. Thana had always been another child and couldn't fathom what it would have been like to share her life with another. Would it have developed her into something different? Would her parents have treated her differently? Not that they'd mistreated her in any way. But perhaps they'd have been happier with a child that had returned their passion for simple pleasures.

The welp of a boy garnered little attention from her but what she forced herself to give for the sake of the conversation. She'd seen so many of his type that they all felt nameless and faceless after awhile. Young, carefree, always joking young men with little care for the next moment and always graced with a vacant smile. She usually found them wanting and in need of discipline.

However, she wasn't going to say that or even convey it. Not with Nell's approval hanging on the line. Such was the games one played.

"Oh, I think we could cure him of that boisterousness. I can think of several camps he'd fit right in." She smiled up at him, eyes narrowing just enough to suggest playful threat. "How do you like combat boots?"

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While Eric wasn't the most disciplined of young men, he had plenty of good work effort and he had been disciplined enough when it came to school. His smarts had always been something Nell was jealous of from time to time, but in the end she realized they just had different talents. After all, he was no where near as skilled when it came to cars as she was.

Still, it was definitely a good idea on Thana's part to keep her thoughts to herself. Family was everything to the shorter woman, and as much as she beat up her brother from time to time or overall picked on him, she still loved him a whole lot.

Though the idea of Eric of all people in combat boots made her laugh, and her brother was grinning like a mad fool despite the narrowing of Thana's eyes. “Sug, I like them plenty but on other people.” He drawled out and wrapped his long arm around Nell who rolled her eyes. “Honestly, he'd get ripped apart.” She mentioned. “He's a goddamn softy.” Of course her brother gave a little shrug. “Not my fault I'm beautiful.” He replied in an almost sing-song voice and the younger Collins let out a groan.

“And it's a good thing you're my only brother.” Nell muttered. “Granted I could let Thana get her claws into you and send you to whatever camp she's thinkin' of...Might be funny to have you squirm under a good drill sergeants yellin'.” She mused while Eric made a horrified face. “Annnnd with that, I am going back to our friends. Food is gonna be out soon enough, drinks too.” He removed his arm from around her shoulders and moved to head back to a safer location.

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The older woman watched Collin's brother return to his party. It was foreign, seeing this bantering between the two. Thana didn't even have any close cousins to compare their relationship to. She'd grown up relatively alone in the wild woods, only going to school and straight home to spend her time exploring the mountainside. She'd never even had a pet dog. The isolation was strange, she realized from a detached point of view. But her parents were very proud, reclusive people with what (she suspected) to be social anxieties.

Which is probably why Thana found it so hard to connect to another human being. There was no compassion there that would rise up and overcome the difference between stranger and friend. She found herself lacking that and not really caring that she was different at least mentally. She focused and functioned where it counted. Her career pointed her in a direction and the reward was all the finer things in life.

"I don't think the military life would suit him." Thana quipped before taking a sip of her drink. "He doesn't want it."

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When it came to family, Nell was close to her's. The Collins were simply a close little bunch, having just the three of them. Sure, the mechanic knew she had other relatives out there somewhere – that she simply met because the two sides simply didn't like each other for some stupid reason or another.

Not that she knew what it was, just that there was no bonding with her or her brother – and that they didn't show their faces for their mothers funeral. Though it was probably better that way, their father didn't want the two siblings to deal with feeling like they were trash or unworthy of love. Which, was the one thing they never went without, even when times were downright rough and some people would snap under the pressure.

Then again, it was probably why her and Eric developed their own set of quirks. He wore his heart on his sleeve while Nell kept her own guarded with violence and insults. There was always the theory that because she grown up without a mother figure, she didn't know how to act in certain situations. Either way, the spitfire was handling herself well enough and her little family and her friends wouldn't want her any other way.

Especially when she got to defending them with a single punch to some jackasses jaw.

A small chuckle left the brunette as she shrugged a shoulder at Thana's remark. “Yeah well, he and my dad didn't want it for me either. But I like it just fine.” She commented. “I still don't know if I'll stick with it though, I might go into law enforcement...” Which if the older woman remembered it? Nell mentioned wanting to be a cop some day too.

Slowly standing to her feet she jabbed a thumb in her brothers direction. “Look, it's been really great catchin' up to you but I better go back to the freaks over there. Might be a while before I can hang out with them like this – and my brother is probably ready to have a conniption under that chilled outer appearance he has.”

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It was a pity Miss Collins was a poor candidate. The very drive that fueled the woman also made her so endearingly empathetic. Such a person had no place in MECH. Thana didn't delude herself into thinking that anyone involved in the paramilitary organization was actually good people. She would be the first to admit her own heartlessness. But they weren't the goddamned girl scouts. They didn't exist to hold hands. MECH existed to make the hard decisions and to be the last defense against hostile invasion of any type.

Still, Thana was partially sentimental to the younger woman. She'd showed such promise when they'd met. If only Ereanor could be molded into a more fitting soldier. Perhaps all she needed was time out in the big world to harden her views. Shattering a few idealistic ideas was exactly what the woman needed.

The more the MECH agent thought about this new line of reasoning, the better she felt. Perhaps they should keep tabs on her for this very reason. Just because she was soft now didn't mean that her usefulness wouldn't peek over time. Yes, this was the right path to pursue. Thana was sure of it.

As Eleanor started to draw away, Thana fished into her bag and pulled out a business card. One of her numbers as well as her name and title were neatly printed on the square paper. These cards were given out in schools to potential teens who weren't quiet swayed by the promise of glory and free tuition.

"Eleanor, I'm going to give you my number. It is a hard world out there and everyone could use someone at their back." She grabbed a pen and scribbled her personal cell phone on the back in a spidery scrawl. "Should you find yourself in a hard place, give me a call. It would be poor of me not to offer a helping hand." With a fleeting grin, she slid the card to the end of the table and looked back to her laptop.

"Now shoo. My coffee is getting cold." With that dismissal, she went back to her work. Content with her own generosity.

[Deleted]

Naturally, Nell had no idea of what Thana thought about her – it was perhaps a good thing.

After all, she was not a heartless person. She was not cold and deluded enough that every foreign or alien (not that she thought they existed just yet) individual was a threat. She was not a girl scout, she was not the sort to hold hands, and she was not the most ideal soldier – but she was still a soldier, and a good one at that. One that was loyal to her fellow soldiers, and one that could be an efficient machine once a wrench was in her hands and a busted engine was in front of her.

She had no idea that her certain qualities that seemed so mundane to herself, and likely even Thana, was one reason why she was stationed at Black Rock. For now, it was just another assignment before her contract came to an end and it would give her an idea on where her life was headed. If she was going to re-enlist or if she was going to pursue something else that was equally worthwhile as serving her country.

As of now, she stopped when Thana started to fish into her bag and her brows raised slightly as the woman used her full first name. Ugh, how many times did she have to tell the woman to call her Nell? Either way, she was getting the older brunette's phone number. “Thanks, I dunno if I'll give ya a call or not but I'll make sure to add ya to my contacts.” Nell mentioned as she picked up the card.

Her eyes rolled some, and she shook her head slightly as the woman shooed her. “Yes Ma'am, it was nice runnin' into ya again.” She commented, and slipped the card into her wallet before turning her back on her to rejoin her group. If anything, it would be a forgotten contact in her phone. Because really? If she found herself in a hard place? Her brother or father would be the ones to get that call, even if Nell wasn't the type to get all sentimental and mushy.

After all, she wasn't the worlds softest person – she was made of tougher stuff than fluff.

{and Fin~}