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swiggity swaiju
[ York can't remember the last time he was in LA. Couple of years, maybe. Long enough that the city's grown from what he remembers, life returning to those areas destroyed by the kaiju. That's how it always goes, though. Doesn't matter what happens -- people always rebuild.
And if they don't, they make a tourist trap out of it.
Thankfully, he doesn't have to go that far out. There are a couple of bars near the Shatterdome, filled with trainees, kids hoping to become rangers one day. York doesn't have the heart to tell them not to bother. Either they've got what it takes or they don't. And if they do, it's a gamble if they can find someone Drift-compatible anyway.
Compatible. He shoves the word to the back of his mind. Doesn't wanna think about her.
What he does want is a beer. York slides onto a stool at the bar and signals for a drink, turning his head to glance around the bar. Still not used to having to turn his head so much, either. There's a woman on his other side, couple years younger, dogtags around her neck. Shoots her a smile. ]
Whatcha havin'?
And if they don't, they make a tourist trap out of it.
Thankfully, he doesn't have to go that far out. There are a couple of bars near the Shatterdome, filled with trainees, kids hoping to become rangers one day. York doesn't have the heart to tell them not to bother. Either they've got what it takes or they don't. And if they do, it's a gamble if they can find someone Drift-compatible anyway.
Compatible. He shoves the word to the back of his mind. Doesn't wanna think about her.
What he does want is a beer. York slides onto a stool at the bar and signals for a drink, turning his head to glance around the bar. Still not used to having to turn his head so much, either. There's a woman on his other side, couple years younger, dogtags around her neck. Shoots her a smile. ]
Whatcha havin'?
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It doesn't do Buffy any good to dwell on it, that's for sure. But knowing that she's got to go through the drift compatibility bullshit with a bunch of candidates tomorrow isn't sitting well for her. It's been months since Faith got lost in the drift, since she'd gone way out of alignment in the middle of the fight. Someone else had had to swoop in and save their butts, and Faith...had never really come out of it. And maybe Buffy hadn't, either. She doesn't really know if she's ready for this.
So she's not in the mood for Flirty McHandsomepants, even with emphasis on the handsome. Her eyebrows go way up, and she gives him a tight smile. ]
Tsingtao. Over there.
[ She slides off the stool, grabbing her beer. She just came here for a drink, okay? Okay, she didn't come her for a drink alone, but she's not even sure Will's going to make it at this point. ]
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[ Talk about laying out the welcome mat. York almost slides off his own stool to follow, but she looks like she's got a pretty good right hook, and he's not really looking to head into the shatterdome tomorrow with a shiner.
Least she went to his right. York keeps an eye on her for a while; can't help it now that she's caught his attention. Looks like she's waiting for someone, but after five, ten minutes go by and no one shows up, he can't help but ask. ]
So I take it he's late.
i need to find some icons
Buffy looks up at York, eyebrows raised. It's clear from her expression that she is already one hundred percent done with today, but she manages to maintain a tone of voice that borders on saccharine but quickly shifts gears into impatient and tetchy. ]
There is no he. So do I have something on my face, or is there just something you're raring to tell me and you just can't hold it in anymore? Did you come to tell me I'm cute? 'Cause you're gonna have to do better than that. I get cute all the time.
somehow i have a feeling there are a lot of buffy icons out there
[ York raises a hand, trying to placate her. It's clear that something's gotten her good and rattled, and he honestly hadn't meant to set her off like that. Course, now that he has, he can't help but feel like it's his responsibility to set it to rights. Can't be having a pretty girl pissed at him his very first night in town. That's just bad karma. ]
Didn't mean any harm by it. Honest. And if I was gonna say anything -- and I didn't say I was -- I'd be callin' you gorgeous, not cute. Cute doesn't cover the half of it.
[ York tries for a broad smile, unwilling to let this get him down. ]
there are and 80% of them look like shit :')
[ At his apology, Buffy feels a little chastised. Okay, okay, so maybe she'd been assuming... And then he makes the gorgeous remark and she frowns again, almost more of a pout. Two steps forward, one step back.
Men.
Buffy crosses her arms, feeling at least a little bad for snapping at him, but she's still not feeling especially welcome of company. ]
Okay, so...what did you want? I mean, I have to ask. You know. Standard stranger danger interrogation.
then yoink 'em from other buffy players
[ York tugs his dogtags out from under his shirt and gives a nod towards her own. He's not quite sure he's got her name right and he doesn't want to get it wrong, so he'll sidestep that for now. ]
We're both PPDC, for one thing. Both rangers, too, if I'm rememberin' right. Haven't I seen you on the news?
but im sooooo laaazzyyyy (yeah that is what i will do)
Color her sort of mortified, at the moment.
She manages a half-smile, trying to make up for it with a little forced enthusiasm. God, she hopes he's talking about the news where they were talking about how totally badass she was and not the news talking about what a trainwreck her partner had turned into. ]
...Oh -- haha, yeah, that's me. Buffy Summers. And you are...?
[ She peers at his dogtags, but she feels like it'd be rude to lean over close enough to read them. ]
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[ For his part, York takes her fumble in stride, and simply offers her a friendly hand, grinning from ear to ear now that he's sure it's her. ]
Name's York. York Reilly. Good to meetcha.
[ He slips onto the stool next to hers, sliding his drink down with him, and chuckles. ]
So now do I get to ask why a pretty lady like yourself is all alone, or what?
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Mm, only if you can manage to do it in a less cheesy way. [ Okay, he's probably harmless. Whatever, it's better than drinking alone. ] I was waiting for a friend, but it looks like she's running late. She's not so much with the punctuality when she gets into something.
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York shrugs off the "cheesy" comment -- not gonna deny what's true -- and settles into his seat. Might as well get comfortable. ] Well then I better keep you company until she shows up. Keep all the rest of these guys from botherin' you. [ Okay, so it's mostly him bothering her, but whatever. York's on a roll here. ] Rangers gotta look out for each other.
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You can sit there as long as you don't try anything. Because believe me, buster, I'll make you pay for it. I'm small, but I'm feisty.
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[ York jerks his head towards the window, out at the skyline behind them. Sure, it's missing a couple landmarks. People, too. But the city's still there, and it's because of the woman right here. ]
What're you up to again? Three kills?
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Four, actually. We nailed Tetsujin down by Long Beach four months ago.
[ But ouch if it doesn't hurt to think about the last time she'd gotten into a jaeger. ]
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Me, I was down in Sydney. Just got here today.
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[ well that sure is an awkward pause
Buffy lets out an even more awkward laugh to cover it up ]
Tact! It's like a long lost relative. Sydney, huh? I hope you didn't pet the koalas.
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Nah. Left that to the tourists. You know they've all got STDs? The koalas, I mean. Not the tourists. And not me, either. [ He can't help winking, but that's probably a topic to move past quickly. She hasn't exactly been taking to his flirting so far. ] Sydney's not bad. Y'know, aside from the kaiju. Took down a couple in my time.
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What a winning endorsement.
[ Come on, really, dude. Way to set the bar low. Still, she nods with an impressed look, idly twirling the bottle between her fingers on the table. ]
Oh, yeah? So what are you doing in LA then, huh? What, the kaiju down under not big enough for you?
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[ York taps just under his temple, right by his scar. ]
It was a Class 4 that took down our jaeger. I'm damn lucky I only lost an eye. Anyway, I've been out of the fight long enough that they reassigned me up here. If I can find a partner, anyway. [ He makes a face. ] They've got candidates for me. [ Like some rookie's gonna match up. Please. ]
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Ugh, tell me about it. I don't even have a new jaeger assigned yet, but tomorrow they're putting me through the ropes with whatever candidates they managed to scrape from...whatever barrel they scrape jaeger pilot candidates from. Not so much with the looking forward to it, hence...beer.
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Guess we're in the same boat, then. Lucky us. So, hey. Whaddya say we ignore all that and have ourselves a nice, normal night? No bullshit.
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And you promise not to make with the weird come-ons? Unless, you know, I ask for 'em.
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[ He even presses his hand to his chest for effect. ]
I'd add "hope to die" and all that, but, y'know. Don't wanna give the kaiju an edge.
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Yeah, that's a neg on the death wishes. But I respect the heart-crossing.
[ She drains the rest of her Tsingtao and sets it down, idly toying with the bottle. ]
So, York Reilly, what do you usually do for fun?
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[ York smiles, takes a sip of his drink. ] Like goin' out and seein' a city, if my jaeger's not up for a fight. Best part about this job, getting to go places. Spend most of my time on the Rim but when I'm not on duty I fly back home, see my folks. Drink more'n I should. [ He taps the base of his bottle against hers, a grin tugging at his lips. ] What about you, hmm?
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[ A little bit of work, a little bit of play, right? Okay, okay, not so much. ]
I dunno, girl stuff, I guess. You know, hanging out with my best friend, watching bad horror flicks while we paint each other's toenails and talk about boys. God, how old am I again?