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[ Dom whines up at John as Chyler straightens to put on the jacket. The dog is the only reason she's not on the ledge. She couldn't do it in front of him, because of him. It didn't feel right. ]
Toothless is Hiccup's dragon. [ She smiles a little at that. She's met a dragon. Then: ] I've only met one viking, and he was a shapeshifter.
[ Chyler shakes her head. ] Sometimes I think about the things I've seen here and I feel crazy.
Toothless is Hiccup's dragon. [ She smiles a little at that. She's met a dragon. Then: ] I've only met one viking, and he was a shapeshifter.
[ Chyler shakes her head. ] Sometimes I think about the things I've seen here and I feel crazy.
[John reaches down to pat Dom's head. He's not really a dog guy, but he's appreciative for all the dog has done for Chyler. Not because she needed canine protection, but something warm and furry that would love her unconditionally.]
A dragon? Cool, okay. No big deal. I'm only slightly jealous.
[John looks back at her.]
Yeah, me too. But you're not. All any of us can do is roll with the weirdness.
Resist, and it'll just knock you down.
A dragon? Cool, okay. No big deal. I'm only slightly jealous.
[John looks back at her.]
Yeah, me too. But you're not. All any of us can do is roll with the weirdness.
Resist, and it'll just knock you down.
[John laughs for what feels like the first time in a long time. He doesn't realize how badly he needed to laugh until his head is buzzing with it, a weight lifting from his chest.
Life still sucks, trauma is still trauma, but for a brief moment, there was light. John holds onto it. Knows better than to let those moments slip away when they're so few and far between.]
Name's John. Sheppard if you've got a thing for Little Bo-Peep.
Lieutenant Colonel if you collect dog-tags.
[And he doesn't mean from fallen soldiers.]
So, Mr. Stark, what do you do around here? Other than get drunk in high places with strangers.
Life still sucks, trauma is still trauma, but for a brief moment, there was light. John holds onto it. Knows better than to let those moments slip away when they're so few and far between.]
Name's John. Sheppard if you've got a thing for Little Bo-Peep.
Lieutenant Colonel if you collect dog-tags.
[And he doesn't mean from fallen soldiers.]
So, Mr. Stark, what do you do around here? Other than get drunk in high places with strangers.
[ The only reason why this is text is because Jim can't trust himself not to fall apart completely mid-sentence. ]
I need your help. Sorry, I know you've got a lot on your plate right now, but I really need you to take over the aerial unit for a little while. Could you do that for me?
[ Particularly since it means having to work with Poe, but he wouldn't be asking if he had any other choice. ]
I need your help. Sorry, I know you've got a lot on your plate right now, but I really need you to take over the aerial unit for a little while. Could you do that for me?
[ Particularly since it means having to work with Poe, but he wouldn't be asking if he had any other choice. ]
You know that virus going around? Victor got sick. He’s at the hospital now, he fell into a coma last night.
Lucy’s also sick, and I’m gonna be stretched a little thin between looking after her, telling her everything’s gonna be alright and checking up on Victor.
I just need some time off. I’m sorry, I know this isn’t ideal timing, but I have no one else to turn to.
Lucy’s also sick, and I’m gonna be stretched a little thin between looking after her, telling her everything’s gonna be alright and checking up on Victor.
I just need some time off. I’m sorry, I know this isn’t ideal timing, but I have no one else to turn to.
Edited 2018-05-07 17:32 (UTC)
[Tony can't help but huff out a laugh at that, thankfully after he's lowered the bottle. It'd be a shame to let good beer go to waste.]
Seems like I am, some days. Surrounded by the Air Force.
[From the faint smile on his face and the way he lifts the bottle to toast nothing in particular, it seems like he doesn't mind much.]
Technically, I supposed to be helping reclaim all that. [A gesture towards the expanse beyond the wall.] The abandoned bits, at least. In practice, I do a lot of tinkering.
Seems like I am, some days. Surrounded by the Air Force.
[From the faint smile on his face and the way he lifts the bottle to toast nothing in particular, it seems like he doesn't mind much.]
Technically, I supposed to be helping reclaim all that. [A gesture towards the expanse beyond the wall.] The abandoned bits, at least. In practice, I do a lot of tinkering.
Don't worry about it. After the shit I just put you through it's the least I can do.
I'm on my feet, and there's still enough of the retrovirus in my system that I can't get sick.
I've got the shuttle team covered. Need anything else? Groceries dropped off at your place? Eyes on the kid?
I'm on my feet, and there's still enough of the retrovirus in my system that I can't get sick.
I've got the shuttle team covered. Need anything else? Groceries dropped off at your place? Eyes on the kid?
We're annoying like that. The seagulls of the military world.
[A sage, slightly tipsy nod as he lifts his own bottle, clinking it against Tony's.]
Sounds like we do the same thing from different angles. The reclaiming part, anyway. I'm more of a breaker than a maker. Good ol' C4.
[Another long drink, kicking his legs in the air. If Tony couldn't tell already, he's not afraid of heights.] What kind of tinkering?
[A sage, slightly tipsy nod as he lifts his own bottle, clinking it against Tony's.]
Sounds like we do the same thing from different angles. The reclaiming part, anyway. I'm more of a breaker than a maker. Good ol' C4.
[Another long drink, kicking his legs in the air. If Tony couldn't tell already, he's not afraid of heights.] What kind of tinkering?
[He slides a dry look John's way out of the corners of his eyes.]
Everybody loves a good explosion.
[But as to the rest. Tony stares off at nothing as he tries to figure out how to put everything into words. Most of the time, trying to describe what he does just sounds like he's showing off. Which Tony very much is not averse to, but for some reason at the moment he'd like to be taken seriously.]
I'm an engineer, mainly. You name it, I can fix it. Probably. Or at least make it look more impressive.
Everybody loves a good explosion.
[But as to the rest. Tony stares off at nothing as he tries to figure out how to put everything into words. Most of the time, trying to describe what he does just sounds like he's showing off. Which Tony very much is not averse to, but for some reason at the moment he'd like to be taken seriously.]
I'm an engineer, mainly. You name it, I can fix it. Probably. Or at least make it look more impressive.
Stop that. I told you, I'm not upset about it. And I don't want you to feel like you owe me anything. I'm asking because I trust you.
No, it's fine. Lucy's at the hospital too so I'm gonna spend all my time in here anyway. Besides, what would I do with groceries? Can't cook worth shit.
No, it's fine. Lucy's at the hospital too so I'm gonna spend all my time in here anyway. Besides, what would I do with groceries? Can't cook worth shit.
I like engineers. You guys have saved my ass more times than I can count. Here, back home, and in Afghanistan.
[The Afghanistan part slips out. Blame the beer, and the fact he'd already spilled his guts to Tony over text before either of them had known each others names.
John's not really the type to share war-stories. He's a soldier, and he doesn't pretend to be anyone else, but there's nothing romantic or nostalgic about the time he spend in the Middle East, or any of the other hot zones he'd flown in and out of.
He holds his beer between his thighs and leans back, looking up at the stars.]
I dated a combat engineer. I swear she built bridges just so she could blow them up. Talk about someone who loved a good explosion.
What kind of engineer are you?
[The Afghanistan part slips out. Blame the beer, and the fact he'd already spilled his guts to Tony over text before either of them had known each others names.
John's not really the type to share war-stories. He's a soldier, and he doesn't pretend to be anyone else, but there's nothing romantic or nostalgic about the time he spend in the Middle East, or any of the other hot zones he'd flown in and out of.
He holds his beer between his thighs and leans back, looking up at the stars.]
I dated a combat engineer. I swear she built bridges just so she could blow them up. Talk about someone who loved a good explosion.
What kind of engineer are you?
Yeah, glaring case of negligence if you ask me.
[ He's maybe a little too worn out and worried to make jokes, but he can take the light teasing anyway. ]
There's a coffee machine here. It's crap but it does the trick. And I'm kind of used to the food they've got here after my stay, so I'll manage.
Really, John, you don't have to go to the trouble. It's good enough that you're looking after the unit. You don't have to look after me too— again.
[ He's maybe a little too worn out and worried to make jokes, but he can take the light teasing anyway. ]
There's a coffee machine here. It's crap but it does the trick. And I'm kind of used to the food they've got here after my stay, so I'll manage.
Really, John, you don't have to go to the trouble. It's good enough that you're looking after the unit. You don't have to look after me too— again.
[One side of Tony's mouth twists a little wryly at the mention of Afghanistan, but he lets it lie. John is obviously not too interested in talking about that part, and it's not like Tony is. Besides, that's just to be expected among military of a certain age, and Tony's mostly used to it.
Besides, it's hard to want to focus on that when they're talking about much more interesting things.]
I don't really specialize. Maybe not civil or mining, but I do bits and pieces of all the rest.
[There's a split second pause while Tony decides whether or not to add anything. Ordinarily he wouldn't but with an airman?]
Used to be a defense contractor.
Besides, it's hard to want to focus on that when they're talking about much more interesting things.]
I don't really specialize. Maybe not civil or mining, but I do bits and pieces of all the rest.
[There's a split second pause while Tony decides whether or not to add anything. Ordinarily he wouldn't but with an airman?]
Used to be a defense contractor.
I always thought Santa Claus would be fatter, somehow.
[That, and most defense contractors don't particular care who's naughty or nice. John's played with plenty of toys that weren't his own, developed by the same people who supply the US military with theirs. He could judge Tony, but he won't. Doesn't see the point in it. His hands are far from clean.
John's a lot of things, few of them decent, but he's not a hypocrite.
As a test pilot, and a soldier, he'd gotten just as excited to try out new and interesting ways of killing people as the rest of them.]
And less attractive.
[Yeah, that's him making a move. With all the subtlety of an A-10 Warthog.]
Why'd you quit?
[That, and most defense contractors don't particular care who's naughty or nice. John's played with plenty of toys that weren't his own, developed by the same people who supply the US military with theirs. He could judge Tony, but he won't. Doesn't see the point in it. His hands are far from clean.
John's a lot of things, few of them decent, but he's not a hypocrite.
As a test pilot, and a soldier, he'd gotten just as excited to try out new and interesting ways of killing people as the rest of them.]
And less attractive.
[Yeah, that's him making a move. With all the subtlety of an A-10 Warthog.]
Why'd you quit?
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