[Redd]

Korinne almost spat out her coffee. It was just as well this world had coffee and it tasted the same. Well, similar, she had wondered if this colorless thing was suppressing her senses.

"Wait. Hold up just a second. Space flight? That must mean you're from the future as well? Maker, the Earth I was in was like... 2014. That must mean..." she exclaimed, finger tapping the side of her cheek in thought, trying to remember anything at all about Earth's timeline. She never claimed to be good at recalling the things that didn't matter.

"My Earth is in 2184. That is... kinda crazy." Alex responded, eyes wide with shock. Under the helmet, Korinne was quick to realise she was... fairly normal, all considered. She was a red head, like herself, blue-green eyes and olive complexion. Normal, that was if you ignored the fact that her eyes had this odd quality to them. Like they were glowing, but it was faint.

[Redd]

Korinne brought her hands down on the table. "No kidding! I'm not sure where Thedas would fit in... we had a different date system. We were in our 9th age when I left, the Dragon Age, but I guess we're a bit like Dark Ages Europe. Just... with oh, you know. Elves, dwarves, dragons, magic. That sort of thing."

"Fascinating, that explains your comment about biotics then." Alex casually remarked, recalling her use of the term 'magic' to explain her biotics. She leaned back in her chair and regarded the world around them. It was killing her to sit still for a few minutes while this assassin indulged her caffiene addiction but maybe slowing down for a few minutes to try and work out what was going on could help.

[Redd]

Korinne simply shrugged dismissively. "Still space magic to me." Korinne sat up in her chair and pulled herself into the table, leaning over Alex. "So are there any planets in your universe that have no color? Or such bizarre animal species."

Alex frowned, almost pulling away from that intense stare. If she'd been less of a stubborn woman anyway."... No, not that I know of. We've got all-human colonies but you can tell from the tech. These people look like they're 21st Century. Like you." She gestured around, noting the lack of holographic based technology. These people still used ground cars and cell phones, that was nothing like the omni-tools and shuttles of her time.

[Redd]

Korinne pulled back and flicked her glance around the room. She was still bad at technology, that was something she'd resigned herself to. But Shepard did have a point. She could make a few assumptions of her own too though. "Yeah... right. And look, they're scared. You can tell by the way they avoid the corners, the way strangers are huddled together, that behaviour isn't normal. I'd wager this no color thing isn't normal either." As she was talking, she waved around the room. As she returned her glance to the Commander, she was met with a raised eyebrow and an amused smile. It was more than enough to make her bristle. "What? Okay soldier, you know how to outmuscle someone but I'm an assassin. I'm people person. You learn how to read a room."

"No, no, go ahead. I'm fascinated." Alex dismissively waved a hand. "I'm just surprised at how calmly you're taking this all. Trapped on a strange world and you're sitting there, drinking coffee and people-watching."

[Redd]

"Hmph." Korinne pouted, crossing her arms across her chest. So she was a novelty to this woman. What had she expected? Shepard was from an infinitely more advanced universe. Her interest in the present, beyond getting home was trivial.
"... I mean, it's happened before, against my will. Not like I had a reason to go back though." She found herself talking, though she didn't really know why. Maybe she just had to explain herself. She then rounded on Alex, eyebrows knit into a scowl.

"But what about you? Aside from shoving a gun in my face, I'd say you're looking pretty damn calm."

[Redd]

"Believe me, I am not. I... where I came from, we're facing what could be an extinction level event, not just humanity, every other species as well." Alex patiently responded.

This was where Korinne's ability to read a person was helping. Shepard was consciously moderating her breathing, her face was forced into a stone wall. She was denying her ability to show any emotion outside of a mild anger. "I was in the middle of organising a mission to try and stop it. I'm the only damn person back there taking the threat seriously."

That... sounded awful familiar.

[Redd]

Korinne blinked. "Hey. We'll get you back. I chose to stay on Earth but I've learned those things aren't one way." she tried to offer sympathetically. Ashe had gone back to Thedas, she'd made the choice to stay there.

"I... thanks. I can't imagine what would happen if I didn't get back. But what about you?" Shepard almost looked relieved. Between them, they had no direction, but maybe if they put their heads together, they could work it out.

Korinne had to laugh at the thought of returning to Earth. After she'd left New York, she'd been manipulated by a few demons to go on a murderous rampage. Though no one worked out who she was, staying there was probably a risk.

[Redd]

"Hah, I'm a criminal on Earth, this world will suit me just fine." She was met with a scowl. She immediately flinched and threw up her hands playfully. "Not by choice! You throw a medieval assassin on the street of a world they're not needed in and tell me how you'd think they'd end up. Did you not hear my earlier titles? I'm a hero back home!"

"A hero who didn't want to go back home." Again, the raised eyebrow, the skeptical look.

"Ehh... sometimes the price of being that hero gets a bit too steep." Korinne grumbled, a thought crossing her mind. Maybe they weren't so different. Maybe she knew a way to explain this. "You got a partner back home, Commander?"

[Redd]

"I... I don't know actually. Maybe?" That was... not the answer she'd been expecting, but the way it was delivered, the soft, sad tone, like there used to be something, was so damn familiar.

"I did, for a little. Then... it was a bit like that. A bit 'maybe'. See, I had... a disagreement with mine. See, the world needed to change. We were approaching an all out war between two major groups, and... well, we all knew if we handled it wrong, the results would be catastrophic." She smiled sadly, remembering the past. Even to this day, it still felt like a knife was twisting in her heart. "My... my partner had one opinion, and I had mine. He was willing to sacrifice everything to see it through, the city I'd sworn to protect, the peace I'd fought for. It was all expendable to him. Worth destroying for his goal."

[Redd]

"And you had to put him down." Alex chimed in softly, with a nod.

She did know. "Y-yeah. You can get over hurting other people. You tell yourself they deserve it. That they're the bad guys. But when it's one of your own..." she trailed off, trying to find the words but abandoning the point. Not worth it. Instead she switched track. "They pinned his crimes on me. Guess the media coverage in the future is good for something. But there, everyone had their own version, it got warped over time."

Alex looked genuinely troubled, for the first time. "Believe me, it can still get warped." she mused, though her thoughts were elsewhere. Something she'd said had definitely struck a chord.

[Color Harvested]