mylawn: (pic#10463786)
Soldier: 76 ([personal profile] mylawn) wrote in [community profile] thisavrou_log2017-02-08 01:30 am

a buddy of mine said that he saw jack morrison take his shirt off in the shower

Who: Angela Ziegler, Soldier: 76, special guest Solid Snake, extra special guests Reinhardt and Reaper and Mei
When: Early February
Where: The Ingress entrance to Eosoros and then some other places maybe
What: Basically the part of Undercover Boss where the boss stops being undercover, except with fewer monetary gifts
Warnings: Blood, medical business, an angry old man

[76 arrives on Thisavrou very, very angry.

He’s usually angry, but generally speaking, he manages to keep said anger to a low simmer if only to function on a day-to-day basis. Arriving on this new planet after the ordeal at the Midway Hub, finding that all he can really do is sit and wait for his number to be called means that anger gets the better of him, even as he attempts to settle in (but 'settling in' is for other people). 76 takes one of the security gigs on Eosoros in a bid to do something productive, and that's sort of when things come to a head.

He’s angry, and he screws up.

It’s not really his fault, he thinks. It’s easy to blame the client (too reckless, an idiot, doesn’t listen to him, gets them both in a bad situation), but probably 76 could have handled this better. He should have bailed when things started to go south or ditched the client entirely or not taken the job in the first place—the money for a security detail wasn’t worth any of that, but he’s still boiling over with ire about the whole situation and that’s enough to make him do very stupid things, like throwing himself down in order to save both their asses when the client proves too incompetent to make it through the stupid torture gauntlet.

Hindsight, however, is twenty-twenty, and he’s not exactly coherent as he drags them both back through the Ingress and is immediately sidelined for medical attention. 76, too angry to care about decorum or not making a scene, immediately makes a scene. Someone is trying to hold him down, if only to keep him from getting blood everywhere before a medic arrives. The Savrii, however, are hard-pressed to subdue an enhanced human like him, especially when he’s in absolutely no mood to listen to reason.

Under duress, 76 becomes all but feral, hissing and spitting and doing everything in his power to get out and away, even if that means ignoring the fact that he's wounded and throwing all his self preservation out the window (said like he had any to begin with). It’s only the nature of his injury that keeps him from making an effective escape, though that doesn’t mean he isn’t going to try.
]
cadeuces: free to use (with artist credit) unless marked DNS! (like a parachute)

[personal profile] cadeuces 2017-02-17 04:48 am (UTC)(link)
[ And she does trust him, quite clearly; perhaps one day it's something that can be returned, this level of sharing, though she does realize he's given her a lot by his standards. That his trust in what he has given her has been beyond significant in his line of work. She may not have a frame of reference for just how he fits into place where he came from, but she knows how to recognize skill and potential when she sees it. Nearly one hundred years between them and he'd still put most of those she knew to shame. Likewise, she's had a few glimpses of him in action to know just how capable he can be, speaking to his dedication in his career— another little nudge to know that information given to him will be well-guarded.

Thankfully, because they'd promised to speak to each other and work on concerted efforts to grow closer, she knows she isn't burdening him. If that were the case he would likely be just as honest and not indulge her, or at least put up a fuss. Yet his focus remains on her and he listens to her every word intently, allowing her the time to place the pieces down where they make sense and tell the story properly. He is upset, yes, but he's still listening, remaining otherwise calm. Perhaps it strikes a familiar chord for him, or he's simply being protective of her feelings. Regardless, she can recognize it and she's only endeared further to him, especially once he's giving into her offered hand. (Even if he looks at it like she'll bite, for a moment.) ]


You helped him with the tunnels? I'm sad we missed each other; he called me to help an injured group escaping. I'd been swept up in assisting those experimented on in the creatatorium after, then later I was around the homeless colony. At least you were working well together. That doesn't seem to come very easily to him anymore.

[ It's a nice reprieve before she really delves into detail, welcoming Snake to her side as their linked hands pass over her head and he's taking a seat with the lean of her weight soon against him, threading her fingers through his loosely as he shifts forward. She's grown used to him closing his eyes to focus on given information, trying to keep her tone calm with measured words so as not to overwhelm, keeping things clear-cut. She doesn't bring her emotions into it, or at least not yet. And she doesn't offer excuses; there is a bit of extrapolation on her part, but she presents facts and the like outcome of what has happened, and it's all so easy for her to imagine because she's seen so much anxiety and PTSD in soldiers, leaders, to know exactly what to expect.

Angela empathizes, yes, but she isn't completely burying the effect these things have had on her; they're let on with her ease of leaning against him, the quiet ways she seeks his presence and warmth, the fact that she's sharing some of this at all. That she's trusting him with this side of her, information and feelings and to let him see her at all instead of hiding the toll its had on her. Surely had she told him it wasn't her place to explain, he'd understand. She doesn't even ask him to maintain the secret. That would be an insult to him. He already knows from her initial nervous behavior and 76's own secrecy that it wasn't to leave these walls. This company. It was his job, after all.

Then he turns it on her and her brows pinch, almost pained, looking up at him. She won't cry; she's done plenty of that already, but the hurt is still there and it only throbs once acknowledged, slender fingers sifting a little closer through his to squeeze his hand until he draws away to face her. He speaks quietly, making his focus on her known and ensuring that his sincerity pushes through as he speaks, tells her she's trustworthy, that she's allowed to be hurt— the weight and warmth of his hand on her nearly-bared shoulder. While it's true enough she's kept a large portion of it at bay with Jack in her immediate vicinity, isn't it nice to hear?

It earns him a smile, turning her head and covering his hand with her own, leaning down to kiss the base of his thumb and rest her cheek there. ]


Thank you, David. It's never that easy though, is it?

[ And here he's being so sweet to her, too. Hopefully he knows she appreciates it deeply, that she's able to convey it properly. ]
soldiergenes: (if you'll ever make it through)

[personal profile] soldiergenes 2017-02-19 04:07 am (UTC)(link)
[ It's not as if working together with others always comes easily to Snake either, but with 76 it hadn't been difficult. There had been a shared understanding there that they could combine their skillsets to get the job done. While until now Snake had been more or less neutral toward 76, not seeing a need to try and pry off that mask that had been lodged on so firmly, now it's a lot more personal because of his connection to Angela.

Of course, he'd always known that getting attached to someone would lead to further complications, which means he's just going to have to roll with the punches here. It's true that he doesn't need to be told to keep this quiet. If there are other people among their group now settled on Thisavrou who would be affected by the knowledge of 76's true identity, then it would be up to the man himself to tell them.

Snake isn't sure what sort of reaction he expected out of Angela after that little speech he gave her, but the brush of her lips over his hand wasn't it. She's been affectionate and physical with him before, but not quite like that, and not with someone else (even if that someone is sleeping) so nearby. Snake feels something more like panic stir in his chest at first, which is only exacerbated when he hears stirring from the other room. Apparently Jack isn't so asleep after all.

Like a soldier standing to attention, Snake slides off of the stool and gets to his feet, tugging his hand away from Angela. Not because he's ashamed, exactly, but because he isn't ready to offer any explanations right now. There's a lot more that they need to talk about.

Snake waits for Jack to reach the doorway and looks him over. It's definitely a different image from what he's been presented before. He studies his face first, lining it up with the photos he'd seen back in Angela's room on the Moira. He's aged, obviously, that face cleaved with scarring, though Snake had been expecting worse. Seeing him out of his usual clothing and not carrying a gun, he looks a whole lot more like a person, and he doesn't speak with the same clipped tone either, where he'd only said as much as needed to get the point across. He doesn't just sound gruff and aloof, he sounds exhausted. A man pushed past the brink and then some.

Jack heard them, or at least some of what they had to say. He's still trying to justify it, though, and while Snake can see where he's coming from, it doesn't explain why he kept it all quiet once they got out into space.

It's Angela who he's speaking to, so Snake says nothing for now, only works his jaw and takes a step closer to Jack, subtly placing himself between him and Angela. ]
Edited (typo 8( ) 2017-02-19 04:18 (UTC)
cadeuces: (yeah I want you so bad)

[personal profile] cadeuces 2017-02-20 04:38 am (UTC)(link)
[ And what a mess to get tangled in, isn't it? With so many people from her world and the sort of life they'd led, it's only that many more landmines to navigate— perhaps thankfully, there aren't many of her old friends that orbit Angela very often and it's easy to slip past unnoticed. (And also, let's be real, Snake picks claymores up from the ground with his plush buttcheeks. He'll be fine.)

The moment she hears the couch creaking as Jack's weight shifts, she doesn't begrudge Snake reclaiming his hand from her shoulder especially when she's straightening as well, nervous tension in her spine as she half-turns to listen, distracted, attention split between Snake slipping off his stool onto soundless feet and the sounds of life from the living room. He's beside her and waiting as the sound of Jack's footsteps grow closer, bare feet padding along the hardwood as she swivels the rest of the way to see him filling the entry to the kitchen, wariness bristling off of Snake more than anything.

Jack doesn't even seem upset with another person's presence after the need for secrecy, not putting nearly a fraction of the effort into sizing up Snake in this place as the younger happens to be expending, looking him over and gauging his reactions, his words and posture. No, Jack's too exhausted to return the favor. How did anyone expect her to be angry when faced with someone showing their age in spades, letting their exhaustion seep into weary features and slump their shoulders? He's beat himself up enough; she wouldn't play into his punishment. It's when he speaks and reveals that he'd been listening that she looks properly embarrassed, wondering if she should even mention she'd given Snake access to her home before Jack had come over— the guilt is evident on her face that anyone had visited while he's here trying to recuperate much less without her knowledge, but she doesn't voice it in the end. Either way she'd state it, her words would give away one thing or another that weren't necessary to say, and it had been an honest accident.

So instead she turns her efforts toward his words and how much he could have overheard, wrapping her fingers back around her mug to hold in her lap. Always one to latch onto warmth, animate or no. (And don't think she doesn't notice you putting yourself between them, Snake!! Is he guarding her? It's sweet even without the mind to recognize it just yet.) ]


It isn't cutting you slack when I'm not angry in the first place. I can wish that you could have told me sooner without bringing any ire into it. And the less stress put upon you while you're healing the better. [ Isn't that the whole reason he's here, in the first place? A quiet place to rest? A likely amount of monitoring her to ensure that she's to be trusted? Well, she's let him down on that front, and it's only the second day. ] I've heard you two have already met. Did you want to sit?

[ Introductions shouldn't be necessary, then, and she'll give them equal chance to reconfirm one another however they please. The dining table is to his left, or he can pick one of the stools where she sits at the island, but that would be passing closer to Snake than he is likely comfortable with. He brings up plausible deniability and she can't help the little huff that slips out of her, shaking her head slowly. ]

You'd be vastly underestimating your agents if you think they'd let themselves be caught; with no one to lead them it's a different story, but if they knew you were alive and still fighting... You and I both know that many of them would have leapt at the opportunity to do good in the world. And that is all you've ever tried to do. Regardless, it doesn't matter here. This isn't Earth.

Are you going to tell me how much you've heard so I know how embarrassed to be?

[ Despite the topic at hand and how she'd just been presenting herself to Snake, Angela is calm and rather collected with Jack, though not to the point of outright hiding emotions and faking a happy demeanor. She's comfortable teasing him at least a little bit, trying to keep things light and dissipate the tension between them all. As relaxing and reassuring as she could be because she just wants him to be comfortable in her home, able to get some desperately needed rest. Now it may be even more difficult; not that it's anyone's fault, particularly, just her own lack of foresight and a quiet promise to herself to mind her TAB better, at least while he's here. ]
Edited (shhhhhh I came back to fix, as usual) 2017-02-20 16:59 (UTC)
soldiergenes: (my body)

[personal profile] soldiergenes 2017-02-27 05:31 pm (UTC)(link)
[ While Snake could be bothered that their conversation hadn't been as private as he'd thought, that had been a risk he'd taken when there had been someone sleeping a room over. Besides, it's not like anything he had said to Angela he wouldn't also say directly to Jack if it came up, but he isn't going to be overly hostile now. Not when Angela is trying to keep the peace.

Besides, Jack doesn't seem all that bothered about how things have turned out. If he's really as good of a person as Angela seems to think he is, then Snake will have to give him the benefit of the doubt, his own personal feelings about the situation set aside. Angela would probably prefer if they at least attempted to get along, anyway.

With Jack making an effort, even offering his hand and an introduction that's largely unnecessary, Snake decides to relent. His shoulders loosen as he steps forward to close to the distance between them and grasps Jack's hand, offering a quick yet firm shake. He doesn't say anything about his own name. Jack already knows him as Snake, and if he heard what Angela called him just before he joined the conversation, then that's something he can keep to himself.

Snake is all about dry humor himself, so he huffs at Jack's last comment. ]


So, cat's out of the bag, huh. [ He debates mentioning Reaper, but figures that he doesn't need to put any of them more on-edge. ] What now? [ That's a question all of them probably need to reflect on, revealed identities or not. ]
cadeuces: art by <user name="hubedihubbe" site="tumblr.com"> (she'd give me toothaches just from kissi)

[personal profile] cadeuces 2017-03-06 08:44 am (UTC)(link)
Of course you did.

[ With a little sigh, exasperated, but not ill-content. There is plenty she could say about Overwatch agents banding together as a force to be reckoned with, that they wouldn't go down easily, that knowing the truth will allow them to fight properly— but they're words he won't want to hear just yet and she'll keep mum.

And Jack please... Snake camped with them for like a month. Angela fed him regularly. They shared a campfire. Of course they're friendly! (And then some, but, you know.) He offers a sympathetic glance as if she's trying to explain away any guilt or negative feelings, but there's a difference between that and stating fact. Which is what she does instead; empathy or no, there were just some things one had to accept about any situation as the cornerstones.

The chagrin that crosses her expression is brief enough as he admits to overhearing most of their conversation and still poking at an attempt to argue she won't acknowledge, but he's turning his attention to David and introducing himself by name. His real name, this time, giving up the ghost. And even offering a hand to shake, which leaves her relaxing (deflating) just a fraction. Provided David doesn't get any ideas about being stubborn here and now, but she doesn't think he will; thus far he's trusted her and taken her lead, and she relaxes further when he takes Jack's hand to shake.

Yet the self-deprecating joke gets a little more than a huff out of her in the form of a soft laugh, shaking her head. This is something she's had to take in stride, with him. This new form of humor poking fun at himself. ]


Now, I think I shouldn't be the only one drinking coffee. And you can both stand to have dinner.

[ Give her something to do, it seems to say, as she slides off her stool and touches the back of David's arm just to indicate she's passing by him. Remove herself from behind him so he didn't feel the need to protect her, and then they can both settle where they please. ]

I don't think we need to clarify much else. Jack will be here for a few more days to recover from his injuries from Eosoros, and— [ Getting her espresso maker going, here, to remove one cup before adding another pod and a new mug if they're amenable. ] —we'll see where to go from there, with the other agents. I know Snake won't be speaking of anything here to others. You both have more in common than you likely know.

[ Namely, that they're both good men with a penchant for denying that fact, and that they hold others in high esteem. Fight for good causes, sacrifice for what they know is right, and surely that paves the road to other facts she's unaware of. So, she's holding out a fresh cup of coffee to whoever reaches for it first, and will await a reply on food. ]
soldiergenes: (and all the lies)

[personal profile] soldiergenes 2017-03-15 08:17 pm (UTC)(link)
[ There's definitely a few things that Jack and Snake share in common. Both experienced soldiers, both who at one point or another had made attempts to fake their own deaths, both armed with an arsenal of self-deprecating humor. That, and Angela seems to approve of both of them, despite their own opinions about themselves. It's more than enough to go on, now that the truth is laid bare.

When Angela moves away to get coffee and finish preparing a meal, Snake allows himself to settle back onto one of the stools. Apparently he's staying for dinner now, which will give them a chance to talk things over, tying off any other loose ends. Jack got injured on Eosoros, apparently, which doesn't surprise Snake given what he and Angela went through there. He doesn't say anything about keeping his mouth shut, figuring it's a given that he isn't going to go around telling Jack's people before he gets to them. Angela's the one he's closest to, anyway.

Since Jack doesn't reach out for the offered mug, Snake takes it, sampling a sip before he sets it down on the counter. He raises an eyebrow at Jack's protest and that little nickname, shifting on the stool to face him and shake his head. ]


If you've known her for as long as she said, then you should know she's not gonna listen. [ They're getting fed whether they want it or not. Good thing she's a decent cook. ]
cadeuces: (lay me gently in the cold dark earth)

[personal profile] cadeuces 2017-03-17 09:45 am (UTC)(link)
I won't rush you.

[ The fact that he sounds even a little rueful about it is enough for her to be set at ease. It wasn't anger or annoyance, so she knows it's all right. That their discussion hadn't rubbed him the wrong way. That he understands her seeking out another ear not his own, and can see she's chosen someone far removed from the others to confide in. It would have to be enough, and he'll surely pick up the undertones of her words offered, that it's all right for him to take his time but that they deserve to know. She won't rush him but that still insinuates she's at his back, ready to nudge him if need be.

The topic change is accepted readily and David takes the offered mug, tipping her head in silent question for Jack if he wanted a cup as well to wake up and warm him. If so, she'll go ahead and make another to offer him, but if not, she'll simply pour herself a fresh cup before setting about pulling porcelain containers from the fridge and dishing up three plates. Dainty portions for herself, twice that for David, and almost twice again that for Jack. Super soldier metabolisms and such, with an emphasis on the vegetables to make up for lost time. Asparagus (or the closest alien equivalent) steamed with garlic and a bit of olive(-ish) oil beside the bread dumplings covered in gravy, and framed in veal(?) sausage. They're making do just fine here, even on an alien planet. Most foods they would be familiar with seemed to be transplanted or recreated here, or near enough.

Hearing such a familiar turn of her name still plucks at her, tugging at that little twinge in her chest that makes itself known nearly every time she wakes to find him still there, that it wasn't just an extended dream— every time her fingertips pass over his shoulders as she walks by or she hears his voice no longer hindered by the mask, something she's still getting used to. And realizing too late that she hadn't had the chance to ever really speak of her relationship with her commanders or many of her fellow agents, if the quirk of his brow was any indication once Jack's speaking up.

But David answers before she can as he settles at the island counter once more, and she doesn't bother to hide her smile, crinkling the corners of her eyes and flashing teeth as she busies herself reheating the dishes to dole out. ]


See? I've made excellent friends here, Jack, and they already know me so well. It's no trouble at all to see some hot food in either of you. [ Perhaps a bit of discussion is in order to ease the tension, let Jack find himself somewhere to sit and learn a little more about her friendship with the near-stranger in her kitchen. ] I met Snake only a few days after we'd arrived— we ran into each other at the gym and saw each other nearly every day since. We've all had our adventures here, no?

He also helped me with Eiger; with his training and just... owning a dog. He's been a dear friend to me. And he's had my back whenever something has gone awry.

[ Certainly something to be thankful for, and hopefully shed a little more light on their dynamic. That he's a trusted companion of hers, and that they've fought together. That she has a measure of his skill and professionalism without divulging anything terribly personal one way or another. There are few enough she can say that for here, even amongst her fellow agents. The food doesn't take terribly long and soon enough she's setting a steaming plate before David, settling her own down beside it, and offering Jack his. Even if he chose to sit at the dining table, he'd nearly be within arm's reach of the stools and they won't be sitting far apart, with her seat turning to face them both equally. If he's at the bar as well, she'll place herself between them. ]
soldiergenes: (here's to you when the light)

[personal profile] soldiergenes 2017-03-24 05:06 pm (UTC)(link)
[ It's difficult to sit there and listen to Angela talk about him like this. It's not like she's saying anything that isn't true, and she's even taking care to leave out the more personal details about him. Still, Snake isn't used to someone speaking so fondly of him, especially when he's only a few feet away. He's had to stand at attention while some superior officer rattles off his accomplishments in combat and his mission success rate, but this is different.

Then Jack goes so far as to thank him. That's even less expected, and Snake straightens in his stool and then shakes his head, waving him off. His guess is that Jack feels at least some guilt that he'd kept his distance from Angela for so many months, but it's not as if Snake considered it a chore to spend time with her. ]
It was really more the other way around. [ Angela had been looking after him, that is. The massages, gluing that gash in his head shut, but even the littler things—the electronic cigarettes, the way she'd check in on him.

Honestly, she's too good for him. Snake suspects that's a sentiment Jack here could agree with.

And here come the plates of steaming food, as if to prove that point. Snake digs in, enjoying the luxury of a warm, home-cooked meal before he takes a look at Jack's portion. It's impossible not to notice, and while he could just let it slide, Snake figures that he may as well learn a little more about Angela's commander. ]


Healthy appetite you've got there. [ He makes the statement as casual as he can, in between bites of his own food. ]
cadeuces: art by <user name="chipsncookies" site="tumblr.com">, colored by <user name="chrysalid">! (you are what I never knew I needed)

[personal profile] cadeuces 2017-04-01 11:33 pm (UTC)(link)
[ It is a comfort to her, that he continues to butt heads with her and challenges her, manners present in the polite objection, the attempted denial of her hospitality only to be overridden. Yet much the same should be true in her continued opposition in the face of that, that she'll continue to insist it isn't a bother and take care of him in the simplest of ways without making a fuss about it. It's second nature to her by now, minding others, and she's most at ease when doing so. Commander or no, he's her friend and she'll ensure he's eating well and getting the chance to rest and that he's comfortable around her.

That familiarity is her affection, at the very least, and it's never swayed.

Jack listens to her every word offered, pieces together what he's given to form an abstraction to figure out on his own, put his own thoughts and opinions into, his assumptions perfectly correct and visible in their rapport. There's an ease between them that speaks not only of friendship but of camaraderie, the way she trusts herself at his side and relaxes immediately, shares her expressions openly. It's also in the sly little nudge of her arm to David's at his vague discomfort beside her as she speaks of him, but the gratitude Jack offers him surprises her just as much.

It's only visible in the slight twitch of her brow and the way she looks between them, the slight exasperation in the curl of her lips and a huff of breath entirely fond to offset it. Further still when David turns it back on her and she just shakes her head. A silent enough what am I to do with you for both of them. Then Jack amends it with his own reassurance in her capabilities and her smile only widens further. ]


Well, sometimes there's only so much one can do alone. I think we all know that.

[ They've all been subjected to their own shortcomings without backup, haven't they? But the incline of her head is humble, deferring to Jack with her respect and her gratitude for his words all the same.

Then David remarks on the amount of food she'd served Jack and she tries not to laugh with a mouthful of food, leaving that to Jack to explain before she'd try to jump in. Let him reveal what he wishes, but the mirth in her eyes is plenty amused at being called out. ]
soldiergenes: (and collect your horse)

[personal profile] soldiergenes 2017-04-12 08:39 pm (UTC)(link)
[ It's something that even Snake can pick up on, the ease between how Jack and Angela interact that betrays how long they've known each other. Even with years passing by back home (along with months here) before they were truly reunited, they've fallen back on old habits. Snake can't help but want to know more about their lives, seeing them interact like this.

Angela's nudge at his side and her comment about people being worse off alone all seems rather pointed, but she isn't wrong. Snake has been alone before, really and truly alone, and it hadn't been a good part of his life. The support of another person makes a big difference, even if it isn't always the easiest thing to accept.

It's odd to see expressions play out on Jack's face after only ever knowing him as the man with the mask, and Snake smirks wryly. He hadn't meant anything bad by the comment.

The explanation makes sense in some weird sort of way. Even regular people without the enhancements that Jack has need extra nutrition when they're healing. For someone like him, it must be two-fold. ]


Guess there's another side to every coin. [ Jack heals faster, but it's at a price. ] Well, with Angela taking care of you, you'll be back in working order in no time. [ If Angela's going to talk about him while he's sitting right there, that means it's within his right to do the same to her. ]