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Who: John Sheppard, Ianto Jones & TJ!
What: ~~Florida~~ California Man introduces air-force medic to his roommate
When: Early in the month, when the new folk are waking up!
Where: Mess hall!
Warning(s): N/A

John had deferred the giant mech adventure for now -- since TJ was new and all, and it seemed like there was probably a lot of context and... general local information that might be beneficial to go over before plunging down in a time-frozen dystopia to tidy up after a dragon.

He's been evasive, which he feels a little bad about but overall he's not... quite sure he wants to open with 'oh, yeah, I was a branch of the US military which did space travel' right off the bat. It's meant to be classified, and sure he's... reasonably sure all that stuff no longer applies when Earth, New Lantea and probably all the other off-world bases have been eaten by the storm but --

But it's just such a long conversation, and people ask questions and he's tired and just wants to be normal for five minutes. So he's briefly mentioned Antarctica, Afghanistan, a vague summary of how he's flown in every continent and is currently idly going through 'my first adventure with the Natha' over a cup of tea and a plate of cheesy fries.

"So they finally beam us down to the planet," John is saying, "And this guy Voss is giving this twenty minute speech on how the Light of Thesa is a blessing or something and Thesa is a goddess who watches over them -- and I'm pretty sure the light is the teleport. But -- we're not meant to say, right? We've got to blend in. Pretend we're just local refugees even if we're all mismatched and weird. So --"

He pauses to take a sip of his drink, then something in his expression changes and he begins waving at someone behind TJ.

"Hey! There you are! TJ, this is Ianto Jones! Ianto, First Lieutenant Tamara Johansen -- Air Force. I was just giving her the delightful story of our first adventure out on the surface." Which was... definitely memorable, but John hasn't actually gone over all the more memorable bits and was probably planning to skip those. He glances back at TJ and flicks an idle smile. "Ianto's my roommate, he's in charge of telling me no. Ianto, sit!"

Apparently the 'no' part doesn't apply to things like diet choices. So Ianto should join them and eat more cheesy fries! They're in the middle of the table for a reason.

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Casualties? John scrunches up his face a little.

"Not as far as I know. Think it was a case of mistaken identity -- Wyver thought it was Olympia doing something and vice versa, so everyone shot at it just in case."

You know. Typical war zone stupidity, everyone jumpy with their weapons.

"Anyway, in comparison we had a relatively charming time being cold and upset and wooed with pamphlets, then we both ended up going to a party. Free snacks."

Listen, it's not that he's obsessed with food. He just really likes free food. Free food is important if it's good.

"They had to smuggle the refugees into the cities, but no one was harmed," Ianto reassures as well.

Of course John would go on to talk about the Coalition and the food, though. He definitely has an obsession with food. Ianto called him out on it once and he got sensitive about it so he knows not to do that again, but he gives the other man a look as if to suggest that he's doing it again. And no, he won't mention the drinking contest you got yourself into either, John. That's entirely on you.

"It was a Peace Coalition," Ianto corrects. "Put together with the leaders of both cities to mend bridges after all the tension before then. It seems to be holding so far, you know. Fanatics notwithstanding. Which is where the dragon comes in, I suppose."

TJ visibly relaxes once assured that no one was hurt and she's easily brought back around when it becomes obvious that John is obsessed with food. She'd never ask about it (at least this early in their getting to know one another), but it's kind of amusing. She knows that she's quickly going to be That Person as well, at least temporarily, and hopes she can hide it. She's doing okay with the fries, she thinks, right as she picks up one more.

"The dragon."

She'd heard bits and pieces and then seen photos of the destruction when she'd sat down in the mech, but the whole story seemed to be lacking. "What happened with the dragon?"

The question is aimed at John because, putting the fact that he's in the military aside, there's something about him that screams being in the mix no matter what. She's known a few men like that in her day and he fits right in.

He should have seen his coming, yet all the same it somehow catches him off guard. John feels the question as subtly as a brick to the head, and his expression skips through unease before shutting down to something neutral.

"Kind of complicated," he begins -- evasive, uncomfortable. He doesn't really know why. He could easily skim over the details without really telling her everything, he's good at doing that. It's just still too sore. You can't honestly blame yourself for what happened out there, Ianto had said to him, but he can and he still does. He picks up his tea again to give himself a reason not to expand, takes a slow sip.

Ianto glances aside at the other man, watching him evade the question and deciding perhaps it's best he step in to field this for all their sakes. Because it isn't John's fault. No matter what he might try to tell anyone otherwise.

"The two cities. In a demonstration of good faith, they decided to give each other back one specific important artifact each they'd been holding of the other culture, a spoil of war. Wyver planning to send Nithor's skull back to Olympia. And Olympia planning to send Ysverai's heart back to Wyver." He tries to disguise another look at John as an attempt to see whether he's getting this right, but John will know he's mostly checking in on him.

"Both of the transports were set upon by bandits, but in the end they only stole the heart. The dragon's heart. Their leader -- Raysc, the estranged son of the king of Wyver -- got it in his head that his father was getting too soft, with all these dealings with Olympia. So he decided he'd raise a dragon from the dead and make life a little more exciting for all of us." He reaches for his coffee and pauses to take a sip. "He got eaten by it of course. And now here we are all on the station because as it turns out, undead dragons are exceptionally difficult to dispose of."

TJ understands the concept - demonstrations of good faith, anyway. She's not sure how well they work and, given John's reaction, her opinion isn't much changed. She doesn't have a chance to ask him if he's okay before Ianto is picking up the story, but her gaze lingers there to ensure that he's not going to have some other reaction before she shifts her gaze to the other man.

As subtle as Ianto wants to be, she catches the glance at John and doesn't follow it, much as she wants to. Something more happened there, but now isn't the time to satiate that curiosity and she focuses on what he's saying.

"So, how do people dispose of an undead dragon?" The question is posed to Ianto for several reasons; he's answered her questions so far and she's not entirely sure the Colonel is capable of answering.

"I mean if we knew, we would have done it."

He's just saying. John sets his mug down on the table and turns it slowly. He's mostly keeping himself in check, just still a little tense -- like he's annoyed about it. Which he is, on some level. Annoyed by the way it all went. Annoyed that the Natha still haven't really explained why they vanished, or why they came back at that specific moment. A little earlier would have been great, really.

"It's not dead, the Natha just... showed back up and kinda... stopped time or something, that's why there's pictures of it on all the screens. Monitoring, I guess in case whatever they've done breaks."

In case the dragon bursts back into life. Which... hopefully it doesn't, since John hasn't come up with any new genius ideas in the last little while.

Ianto moves to take a sip of his coffee, humming in agreement to the other man's words. While he might not have put it quite like that, he supposes that is why the Natha have the thing up on the screens. To be able to monitor it, see that their -- time hold? -- hasn't come undone.

"I'm not sure that they've really given us an answer as to what they're planning to do about it," he elaborates. "Even now, we're supposed to head to, what. This secret city? Or at least a city that they've not decided to give us any information about. And investigate why they couldn't see the problem with the dragon coming in the first. But this whole next step of their has got nothing to do with solving the actual problem that I can see, anyway."

So they're, what? Just supposed to trust that it will happen? Ianto would beg to differ.

For his answer, John gets a look. He's not wrong, of course, and TJ feels slightly stupid for pressing the question when the answer is that obvious. She's also curious just how close the Colonel is to the situation since he seems to want to impart information but doesn't actually want to talk about it. She knows that feeling and because of it, doesn't want to press.

"So, no one knows if this thing is gonna come back to life any time soon," TJ finishes, settling a little in her chair. Honestly, she's a little tired of being stuck places without a lot of answers. She's totally on Ianto's side regarding trust issues and gives a little sigh.

Looking around at the various food, she wonders if it's worth it to try something other than fries before posing another question.

"So, that's how you two met? The big speech?"

"No, actually! We met up here on the station just before the Natha sent everyone down. Tried to recruit him into my intergalactic take-out business."

Which is both true and not true, he definitely made the suggestion but really went anywhere. John just talks a lot and likes to invent ideas to fill space. If you don't have anything to do because you're stuck on a ship and wish you could order take-out, why not theorise about the viability of an intergalactic take-out business?

"Getting transport for it has been kind of a sticking point."

John still hasn't persuaded the Natha to give him back a puddle-jumper. One day, though.

Ianto rolls his eyes (fondly) at the mention of it. This has come up several times since this initial encounter after all. Mostly when John feels like lightening the mood with something ridiculous, he supposes. Then again, he supposes that's what he'd probably been doing in the first place, considering they had met outside of the stasis pod of one of John's friends from home -- while Ianto had been trying (and failing) to find any of his own.

"I don't think you ever really outlined my part in this venture," he points out. "But we did meet on Thesa and go for drinks. Rather a bit like this, actually." He gestures to their table, quirking a wry smile at them before sitting back in his chair himself and asking, "How did the pair of you meet each other then?" He pauses for a beat before adding, because it's a point he has to wonder, the fact that they are both Air Force after all, "You, ehm. You did just meet here...? On the station, I mean?"

TJ couldn't help herself, she laughed.

"Have a lot of experience with intergalactic take out businesses, do you?" Mostly, it reminded her of the Destiny, a lack of food, and how nowhere they'd stopped (ever) had anything resembling take out. She would have happily committed a crime for good Chinese food by the end.

Listening to the two of them banter was becoming a highlight of her arrival. Shaking her head at Ianto, she motioned to John and said, "Actually, he found me in a giant robot, about to do something I probably couldn't." It was an easy admission. "But, yeah. We just met here."

John gestures at Ianto accusingly.

"You were always a buzzkill. You never believed in me." Then, to TJ -- "You can tell when a man has never been without take-out for longer than a month at most. They don't get it."

Get the importance of intergalactic take-out. They could make a killing! People get desperate for good food! Never take food delivery for granted, life without choice is terrible -- especially when you're limited to rationed military food mixed with splashes of local cuisine.

Ianto makes a face at John as if to say ouch and also you'll get over it all in the same breath.

"Some of us chose to keep our feet firmly planted on the ground in sensible places, thank you very much," Ianto replies, well aware the quip applies to both their situations. But seriously, John, Antarctica.

And for that matter, "Are you certain that you hadn't caught him doing something that he probably shouldn't in a giant robot?" He raises an eyebrow at the other man over the rim of his mug as he takes another healthy sip. Oh yes, John, he knows you. This wasn't the Gundam, was it?

"Does he not normally keep his feet firmly on the ground?"

She's not answering the second half of the question; John had agreed rather quickly to help her do something she probably couldn't, but had redeemed them both by suggesting food, so she didn't think it should count against him. Besides, she figures she's learned more in this conversation than she ever would have earlier - despite the potential for being in John's memories.

Raising her own eyebrows at the man in question, she lifts her cup and mimics Ianto's pose, though her expression comes off more owl-eyed innocence. Or, at least that's what she's trying for.

Wait a minute. John flicks his eyes between the two of them with a slow frown.

"You're teaming up now? That's not fair!"

It's about as far from fair as you can get! He picks his tea back up and takes a slow sip, levelling thoughtful glower at Ianto.

"You know I could lock you out of our room, right?"

Probably. He's never actually tried to override the locks but he's pretty sure with effort he could.

Ianto raises his eyebrows at the other man at that threat. Oh really, we're lowering ourselves to threats now? After you were the one to invite him to this table and everything? He's being so careful with what he's saying and everything, since he hasn't got a clue what John has told her about himself. It's not really his place to spill the beans about John's job, after all.

"I would have thought it's rather a hazard of the job, being a pilot," Ianto replies, glancing between the pair of them -- watch it, John, if you don't like them talking about you maybe you could actually answer your own questions for a change, there's a novel idea.

TJ had thought that Ianto was speaking more figuratively rather than literally, despite their discussion on galactic takeout and, given the fact that John's in the Air Force, being a pilot really isn't that much of a stretch. Telling other dirty little (classified) secrets... well, it's true that John outranks her, so when it comes to telling anyone else what she does, she'll likely defer to him. He's a commanding officer, just not her commanding officer. Right? Right.

"No one's getting locked out," TJ says with another shake of her head and a slight roll of her eyes. Then she looks at John. "So, you said no transport? They don't have a ship," not the word she meant to use, "or a plane available for your galactic takeout service?"

"They won't give me anything," John laments with all the dramatic immaturity of a teenager. "Guess they don't trust me yet. Which is fine! I understand. I just..."

He gestures expansively, grabs a few fries off the plate and pointedly moves it a few inches away from Ianto again as he sets his tea down.

"Thought maybe we could all move past that, seeing how they wanted out help and all. What's the point in waking people up if you won't let them do anything?"

These subtle threats are not over, Ianto Jones. You are being warned.

Shunned from the cheesy fries. Ianto sees how it is. He can't help but quirk something of an eyebrow at the movement, though he makes no comment about it otherwise. He has a feeling that the Natha are monitoring their actions and waiting until they consider them worthy enough to give them their gear back. And John's stunt with the dragon probably caught their attention in more ways than one.

"I wouldn't say they haven't given you anything," Ianto points out, wondering whether the other man will go so far as to slap his hand away if he reaches for some food now. "Just nothing in the way of a vehicle."

"Wait."

Though TJ understands John's point about waking people up (and, frankly, as much as she can't stand some of the people she knows personally, she rather thinks they could help a lot), she can't help but furrow her brow when Ianto mentions that John's gotten something.

"You've gotten something out of all this?" And, though it's not nice or proper or even polite to ask or demand answers from someone she's basically just met, she really wants to know. "What've they given you that's not a vehicle?"

Wow, Ianto, that was vague enough to make it seem way more exciting. Was that on purpose? John lofts his eyebrows at him, because really.

"They gave me a gun back," John says slowly, then drags his eyes back to TJ. Honestly, it's really not some weird conspiracy. It was a gun. "Which is pretty much the minimum they could do after I was stabbed in the arm trying to defend their peace process without one."

So yes, thank you, he got a gun. He's just going to shove some more fries into his mouth for a moment and hope the topic moves off him again. Please stop ganging up and talking about him, it's uncomfortable. Thank you.

Actually, the guitar had been what he'd been thinking of, since it's more fresh in his memory given all of John's picking around on it of late. He supposes they did give him the gun back as well, though. He'd like to point out that yes, see John? They gave you these things in reward for your bravery with the caravan when Ianto himself hid under the carriage and he hadn't gotten a thing in return for that but he lets it go. Knowing that he could argue fault until he's blue in the face but that the other man will still blame himself for what happened.

"Maybe someday they will take pity on me and give me back my espresso machine," Ianto replies, helpfully. See, John? He can take a hint. For the moment, anyway. "Especially since they've frozen the rest of our things, it's he least they could do."

Part of the reason they're ganging up is because, clearly, they're going to be best friends and need someone to pick on. That aside, she finds it interesting that they gave him... "A gun?"

Her confusion shows because it seems like a minimal thing in relation to, well,everything else and she focuses on John for a moment before looking back at Ianto. "And you want an espresso machine. Not that I'm knocking it, really. I'd commit a good number of minor crimes for a good cup of coffee. And probably a major one. It's been years..."

Trailing off, she reaches for a fry and takes a breath. "I don't even know what I'd ask for if given a chance." The two men get a grin. "So, now we're just waiting to see what happens down there before they release us back into the wild?"

"I think they've gotta like you more before you get anything more interesting. You know, like your own personal giant robot."

Or whatever else it is the Natha give people they like. Access, he thinks? To more important parts of the ship? Anyway, the point is they just gave him a gun and it's not very exciting. Even an espresso machine would be more interesting! Espresso also brings all the ladies to the yard, apparently. He looks between TJ and Ianto hesitantly.

"Why do I feel like I'm watching myself being replaced?"

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