Hearing the word Soldier caused a shiver of tension to develop in Rylee's shoulders. He was never one to get annoyed or even pick fights but after being in the Corps a quick way to grab Rylee's attention was to call him a soldier. He placed the box of batteries back into his drawer, noting that Samuel took out an odd number which displeased him. Most appliances took an even number of batteries and when you were low you had to change all the batteries at once! But, maybe it could be an emergency battery, that lone odd number, just in case Rylee some how misplaced one.
Slowly he turned back to Samuel, prepared to rattle off something about what he thought of soldiers, but realized Samuel was smiling. He was joking, not trying to tease, and that's when it dawned on Rylee that Samuel had commented on the military, on the sandbox, he knew that he had been in.
"Marine, actually," Rylee replied with one corner of his mouth curling into a smile. "I've been out for a few years. But I'm inactive right now."
He stepped back and leaned against the kitchen counter, crossing his arms over his chest and continuing. "I just moved here a few weeks ago... I was living in Massachusetts beforehand finishing my Masters. So what do you know about the military, Sir?" He smirked further, enjoying this conversation, and waited for Samuel's reply.