garbagepilot | ic contact

garbagepilot

[ TEXT | VIDEO | AUDIO | ACTION ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

bleak_midwinter

The breach is distant by now: it's been months, and those memories fade easily. He doesn't mind the question, but he can't say he minds the change of topic, either.

But he does notice it. That she's changing it because of him, for him. And he isn't quite sure whether it's a kindness or pity he doesn't need.

"You'd like her," he says, finally, looking up and conjuring up a smile. "She's the toughest woman I have ever met- and I've met some. She's from a dead world, but she didn't lose her heart there. She fights, and she drives trucks that aren't even possible in my world yet."

Honestly, she's one of the best friends he's ever had. There's no one like her anywhere, he's sure of it.

From:

garbagepilot

The smile is enough to make fighting through everything she's feeling worth it, just the knowledge that they've gotten to any place where he can do that makes fumbling through this worth it. She's able to relax a little, and by the time he's finished speaking she's just back to listening to him closely the way she does every time he tells her something new.

And... it's funny, the way she hears each thing about Furiosa and can find the same thing in herself. Tough, from a dead world, a fighter, sort of a pilot. She can kind of see now why Tommy would like her if those are the points of Furiosa that stick out in his mind enough that they're how he describes her.

"Remind me to show you Jakku in the Enclosure," she says, smiling a little herself. "I wonder if it's like her world."

From:

bleak_midwinter

"If it's dry, and hot, and everyone fuckin' hates each other- then yes, it is." He twitches a little smile.

"It's where my inmate is from, too. And Max."

From:

garbagepilot

"Throw in every man for himself and yeah, that's Jakku."

She does not miss it.

"I'm starting to realize there are a lot of people on this ship I haven't met yet."

From:

bleak_midwinter

"You haven't been here for that long," he points out, finally relaxing enough to dig out a new cigarette- and holding the pack out when he does, offering her one.

"You'll get there."

From:

garbagepilot

With the drink he had offered her before, it had been entirely obvious what it was, what it was for, once she realized it was alcoholic. It was familiar, and this is entirely the opposite of that. She'd never seen anyone smoke before Tommy, and it hadn't ever really been something she had thought of as a habit he would share until now.

They've been in open spaces every time he's done it so the smell has never bothered her and she is curious, just a little, what all the fuss is about, so she reaches out to take one of the cigarettes before she admits-

"I'd never seen these, before you."

From:

bleak_midwinter

He looks up, still surprised when people say that- it's just that everyone smokes, back home. His little brother has tried it, and then adults here tell him they never have, before.

It's odd, is all. But he doesn't mind teaching her, even if he's been told it's a bad, very bad habit. "Everyone smokes where I'm from. It's mostly tobacco in there." Though god knows he doesn't know all of it. He doesn't really care. He strikes a match and holds it to the end of her cigarette.

"Now you inhale, and you try to pull the smoke into your lungs. You might cough- that's fine."

From:

garbagepilot

"You know, where I'm from breathing in smoke is usually a bad thing."

And yet she's still leaning in to meet him halfway when he lights the cigarette, lips closing around the end of it and breathing in lightly-

But the smoke doesn't even get all the way into her mouth before she's frowning and blowing it out and looking incredibly put out. She wipes at her mouth with the back of her hand and shoots him a look that can only be described as wounded. What a horrible trick to pull on someone, Thomas.

"This tastes horrible," she says flatly.

From:

bleak_midwinter

He-- can't help himself. He isn't helping himself, but that look makes him snort, makes him reach out and take the cigarette from her, looking amused all the while. She just looks so offended, like he'd given her a trick cigarette.

"I never said it tasted good, Rey."

From:

garbagepilot

Her lips press together in a thin, tight line, but it's only because she's dangerously close to smiling. She feels so much lighter now, and even though her mouth tastes like something died in it she's actually starting to feel hopeful again.

"Do you only allow one try to be good at something in the time you come from, too?" She asks, holding her hand out to demand the cigarette back.

She doesn't really want it back, but now she has something to prove.

From:

bleak_midwinter

"Hmm. We're 'ard like that, we are." She may be dangerously close, but he isn't holding back now: he leans forward and hands her the cigarette back, smiling.

From:

garbagepilot

She's not sure if he's calling her bluff or if he's just being polite, but either way she takes the cigarette back. Their fingers brush and their eyes meet, but he's smiling and she loses the fight to hide her own smile. It's not much, just a small sign of her quiet happiness in this silly, simple moment.

She's never had any of them before, not like this, and this is a first with Tommy that will count, unlike what happened during the breach. This is something she can hold onto, look at in the future and just be happy about.

But she can't stall for long, so she just goes for it, tries again and gets a little farther this time before the smoke chokes her and she coughs it out, eyes watering as she fights to keep from shooting him another look of blame.

From:

bleak_midwinter

He still gets the urge to call her my love, to reach out and comfort her, but it's in the background now. He can just look at her and see a woman he could be friends with, someone who is strong but not too proud to look uncomfortable while smoking.

"Never said it was easy either, did I?" You have to work hard for your terrible addictions, Rey.

From:

garbagepilot

Alright, now she shoots him a glare. It has barely any heat behind it, though, because she's also trying wipe her eyes with her empty hand and not let the cigarette burn the one still holding it.

That and she just isn't as put out by her failure as she would be if it was something she actually wanted to learn to be good at.

"I think I liked learning to ride horses better," she says, voice a little scratchy from the smoke and coughing.

From:

bleak_midwinter

"Well, the past isn't all it's cracked up to be, is it?" He shoots her a small, crooked grin- the kind that makes it look like he doesn't very often gets to smile like this at all. He holds out his hand for the cigarette, if she won't try again.

From:

garbagepilot

With a sigh she accepts her defeat, hands the cigarette back to him without really feeling at all torn up about it. She'll just stick with the occasional drink with him and accept she can't be immediately good at everything she tries.

There's actually something a little comforting in that, really. The smile doesn't hurt, either, and her eyes go a little softer as she returns it.

"I'll just have to impress you the next time you throw something new that I've never seen my way and I manage it with flying colors."

From:

bleak_midwinter

He sticks the cigarette into a corner of his mouth, grinning around it as he inhales, slowly-- and keeps the smoke in his lungs, and then breathes it out in an almost elegant stream.

"You're confident, aren't you? I'll have to think of something that doesn't have to do with technology, then."

From:

garbagepilot

She watches him do it, only vaguely aware of the fact that she just had that in her mouth and now it's in his, but even as impressive as he makes it look Rey isn't too terribly put out that she'll never be able to do that.

Her mouth tastes terrible now, so she digs into the satchel at her hip and pulls out a canister of water to try to wash some of that taste out.

"Probably no feats of strength, either, if you're looking for something challenging."

She could bench press him, she's sure of it.

From:

bleak_midwinter

That surprises him into a laugh, and he sits back to consider that while he smokes.

"Alright, clear enough. D'you play cards?"

From:

garbagepilot

She smiles a little as she shakes her head, too pleased at getting a laugh from him to think about the fact that learning to play most games requires someone to teach you and she had never had that.

"No, but I can learn to."

From:

bleak_midwinter

"You can, at that. I'll gather some people someday, then, and you can play with us. See how you do at that."

From:

garbagepilot

"Now I think you're setting this up in your favor," she says, but there's no actual heat to the accusation. "First you pick cards, and now I have to perform for an audience?"

She's still not used to large groups of people, so there is some real trepidation there, but it comes more from a place of not wanting to know what she's missed her whole life than actually worrying about making a good impression. Impressions don't matter to her, but with all the memories of the breach floating around in her head, quietly aching for family isn't really something she wants to do any more of.

From:

bleak_midwinter

"Oh, I thought you said you could do anything? That's fine, if you're not up for the challenge," he says, shrugging casually, flicking ash off the end of his cigarette.

This is closer to how he remembers her: gently ribbing, making jokes and getting closer over them.

From:

garbagepilot

"I never said I wasn't up for the challenge."

She raises to the bait knowing that's what it is, but she takes it all the same as a matter of pride. She is up for the challenge, for any challenge, and one smug man won't stop her from proving herself.

From:

bleak_midwinter

"Good. Because I thought of something else. You have your staff, and your--" He gestures, vaguely, indicating lightsaber. "But do you have weapons like my pistol, 'ere? Where you're from?"