(no subject)

[milkbonesoldier.livejournal.com]

Wells has been busy at the Academy most of the day- small surprise. Some of the girls are coming up on being field-ready. That's a critical p hase in their training, and he doesn't want to see it go awry now.

It does mean that he's been forced to keep up with the reflexes and endurance of Slayers for twelve or fourteen hours now, though, so he reckons he's earned dinner and a pint by the fire.

Comments

[againstcovenant.livejournal.com]

Two things are wrong with the picture that Wells might catch a glimpse of by the fireplace.

One, is the man in green armor staring intently at his target objective, massive frame squeezed onto a couch.

The other is the fact that he appears to be staring at a chessboard intently, the pieces intricately carved. He's moving the pieces, doing the best he can to play against himself.

[milkbonesoldier.livejournal.com]

That's going to be murder on the furniture, he's sure.

Harry's not all that good at chess- he's tried- but his brother Tom used to play their dad all the time when he was a boy. So he knows the basics. Enough to get a vague idea of what the Chief's doing as he settles down at one of the chairs nearby. "Keeping busy?" he inquires.

[againstcovenant.livejournal.com]

"I'm trying to."

He's lying through his teeth. He's completely run out of things to do.

He picks up a pawn and moves it across the board before moving his knight to pick it up, "....It's working." Somewhat.

He sets the pieces down carefully, using as delicate a touch as he can manage, before looking up at Wells, reflected faceplate glinting in the light of the fire.

[milkbonesoldier.livejournal.com]

"Don't look at me, mate, it's been a dog's age since I last played chess," Wells demurs. "I'd offer you another run like the last one, but it's on the dark side out there just now."

Not that it matters so much to him any more, but he has no clue just how good that armour's night vision is.

[againstcovenant.livejournal.com]

"That sounds good actually." The spartan says, "...If you feel up to it sergeant?"

Perhaps, depending on the outcome of this race,the chief can ask just how it is the guy seems to run so damn fast all the time.

[milkbonesoldier.livejournal.com]

Wells shrugs. "Why not? Not like I'm doin' anything at the moment." He hasn't ordered dinner yet, after all.

And anyway, his ankle's back up to snuff.

[againstcovenant.livejournal.com]

The chief stands, nearly knocking over the chess set. Cursing, he fixes an eye on the chief before shaking himself, armor clinking, "-You lead the way. Although preferably something with less spikes in the terrain?"

[milkbonesoldier.livejournal.com]

"Fair enough," says Wells. "I'm wearin' my good boots, anyway. No sense scuffing them up without reason."

Yeah, he runs five-minute miles in his combat boots, not trainers. And speaking of miles, he's heading for the course he uses for practising his speed over that specific distance.

Without bringing along a light source, mind.

[againstcovenant.livejournal.com]

"...Do you mind if I ask where you served?" The chief tilts his head, watching the man walk. He moves like a Spartan, but-

This ought to be interesting. The chief does these runs in his Armor.

[scrmifthishurts]

"Looky who it is."

For once she's not outside in the cold practicing with her bow. But now... right now she's inside keeping warm. Kind of funny how she ended up talking to someone else and had told them she'd teach them how to use it. She hadn't expected any of that upon coming to Milliways. Just like she hadn't expected two different people decide to teach her how to use guns as a trade for teaching them how to use the bow.

[milkbonesoldier.livejournal.com]

Wells looks up and smiles a little. "Hallo, Abigail," he says. "How've you been?"

[scrmifthishurts]

"I've been doing pretty good." She tells him with a slight smile. "How's the training going?"

[milkbonesoldier.livejournal.com]

"It's going," he says with a bit of a grimace. "Came really damn close to one of the girls knocking out some of my teeth a while back. Sirikit's got a wicked right cross when she's in full-bore mode."

[scrmifthishurts]

She shakes her head and inwardly winces at that. "You need to be more careful. Or start wearing a face mask." The last sentence is said with a bit of amusement. "You know... one of these days I'll have to meet these girls you're training. And eventually we'll have to set up a time and place to teach you more of the bow."

[milkbonesoldier.livejournal.com]

"Bah, I'll be fine," says Wells. "If I can't get out of their way fast enough I don't expect I deserve to keep all those teeth, eh? But I could do with the bow training, sure."

[scrmifthishurts]

"Well... I guess you've got a point there. If you don't have the agility or the dexterity or whatever the hell is needed to stay out of their way... then I guess you don't need to keep your teeth." She makes a face at that though. "Though I would assume that would hurt. As for the bow training, that should be easy. We'll just have to pick days and times."

[milkbonesoldier.livejournal.com]

"Oh, yeah, it hurt like hell," Wells says. "But you get over that after a while. I expect I'll be in here most any day this week, so whenever's free f'you's all right by me."

[dark-ex-watcher.livejournal.com]

There is some cursing and muttering-under-breath from a nearby table. Wesley has been trying to repair a book with the help of a bone folder and far too much wheat paste. Not having much luck, he finally drops the bone folder and as it falls onto the table, he raises a hand to rub his eyes.

"Bar, another scotch if you please?" As soon as it appears, he slides out of the booth and strolls over to the fire.

Seeing Wells, he nods. "Sergeant. How are you?"

[milkbonesoldier.livejournal.com]

Wells looks up and smiles a touch. "Doing all right, I suppose," he says. "Yourself?"

[dark-ex-watcher.livejournal.com]

"Locked into a death struggle with a recalcitrant book at the moment." He glances back at the table irritably.

"One might almost think it had a mind of its own. Which, in my line of work, is always a possibility."

[milkbonesoldier.livejournal.com]

Wells wrinkles his nose. "I'll trade you," he offers. "One of the girls damn near knocked out my eyeteeth today. Sirikit's finally starting to get the hang of speed work, and she caught me off guard."

[dark-ex-watcher.livejournal.com]

"Ye-es. Sudden advances in power and speed are always a concern as a Slayer matures. Watchers who lacked enhanced abilities always had to be especially vigilant during training."

"Of course, some Slayers advance more aggressively than others," he adds with just the barest trace of bitter memory.

"How are you finding them overall?

[milkbonesoldier.livejournal.com]

"Far too much like the recruits I used to have to train for my liking," Wells decides after some thought, "and not like enough in some areas. They've got the promise and the temper, not to mention the attitudes, but it's not as if I could hold it over them that they signed up for it."

[dark-ex-watcher.livejournal.com]

"True enough. Though if they had little choice in their calling, they have even less choice in their training. A Slayer who lacks it will almost certainly never reach adulthood."

Wesley assumes he needn't bother added that even with training, the odds for a Slayer's long-term survival are never high.

"Perhaps not the most comforting motivation. But I used to find that the truth of it had a way of focusing their attention once they encountered their first vampire or demon."

[milkbonesoldier.livejournal.com]

"I don't do comforting anyway," says Wells. "Sort of... constitutionally incapable, you might say. They take that out of you around the time you get your first stripe."