Two soldiers walk into a bar...

[ltcolonel]

[ooc: Feel free to run into either or both of them! John and Bucky both have their memories of their previous visit to the Enterprise.]


John Sheppard
John Sheppard is responsible for setting Atlantis down on a planet of ice and snow at the edge of Pegasus Galaxy. It is a pretty good landing if he does say so himself and they are settling in well. Or they are until Rodney is kidnapped. He’s got a good deal of pent up frustration over the lack of intel, and takes it out on regular patrols to check on the condition of Atlantis in her new setting. The temperatures outside are a little bitter though, and on this inspection of how Atlantis is settling into in, he resembles an Artic explorer. One second he’s rubbing his hands to get some warmth back into them, and next, he’s back inside.

Memories come flooding back, and John pushes his hood back. Woah, how has he managed to forget all of this? “Wow that was a bit if a head rush. I didn’t think I would be seeing this place again.” He moves off confidently heading towards the bar, where someone can fill him in on what’s going on.


Bucky Barnes
The memories he gets are not the ones that he wants. The irony that he can remember another version of his life better than his own, isn’t lost on him. He crouches down against the wall, blue eyes uncertain, as he assimilates them. Voices overlap each other, growing louder. Images - cutting his hair, Steve, Natasha.

Slowly the voices fade and he straightens up. He can’t stay here in the corridor, it is too exposed, and he doesn’t have any intel on what has happened since he’s been away. Slowly, with many pauses to watch the security personnel go past, he moves to find an empty room.

Comments

[reincarnshaman]

In his quest to find an empty room, Bucky will eventually pick up a tail.

A black tail belonging to a black cat who seems to be perfectly content tailing him. Her tail is up and if he turns to look at her she'll sit down and start to groom a paw, looking at him completely innocently. Like what? She's totally not following him. They just happen to be going in the same direction.

Really.

[bestpal]

Cats. Cats are okay, they are uncomplicated, smart. Bucky is happy to share a room with her. He crouches down in the corner, and holds a hand out towards her.

"We are both out of place."

[reincarnshaman]

She sniffs the hand and then rubs up against it, purring.

She's not sure what he means about being out of place. Okay, sure, it's not home with her kittens but this is now her ship. The humans and funny humans may think it's their ship, but it's hers. Because she can see it.

Not that she can tell the guy this. Instead she can just purr and rub up against him, claiming him as another minion.

[bestpal]

He scritches behind her ear. The purr is comforting. Most cats are not comfortable with a metal hand. Still, he reaches down with it so that he can pick her up. On the streets, this is the time the cats run even if he does have a tastey scrap to give them.

[reincarnshaman]

Veena is smarter than other cats. She'll let him pick her up and then scramble to sit on his shoulders.

He's got nicer shoulders than Trever's. Much broader. Easier to sit on than Trever's skinnier ones. She can see EVERYTHING from up here. There's a brief moment when she does the kitty equivalent of ' wondering how to get shiny arm guy with good shoulders to sit on to follow human around everywhere' but it's a very short moment as she then tries to stand on his head.

What's that thing over there?

John Sheppard

[theycallmetodd]

For all its hustle and bustle, The Enterprise is silent. Guide has been on board for over a year now, and all this time there has been silence. Wraith communicate over a telepathic network, vast enough to reach from the surface of a planet out into orbit. But ever since he unwillingly set foot on this ship, Guide has known that he's far too far away from any of his kin that they would be able to hear him. He's free to move about, free to interact with others, but the feeling of isolation is at times terrible.

So when, all of a sudden, there is something there, Guide absolutely freezes in what he's been doing. Something... Not another Wraith, no, it's far too unclear for that. But something, a vague presence in the back on his mind where until now there had been absolute emptiness. Setting his work aside, he exists the sickbay and goes wandering, following that strange yet somehow familiar presence, letting it lead him and not being too surprised when he approaches Ten Forward. The bar does seem to be the gathering place, for most things. Why not this?

And, indeed, there is a familiar figure standing there by the bar. What is surprising, honestly mystifying, is how a Wraith could feel the presence of a human this way. Retaining his calm, keeping any hesitation and confusion at bay - for now - Guide steps forward. "John Sheppard. I must admit that I am surprised. I had not anticipated that you would be returning." Coming to stand at the bar he studies the human, as if trying to figure out answers to his questions. Why? Why can he sense his presence? "Though perhaps it was no more willing this time than the last."

[ltcolonel]

"Todd," John turns around at the sound of his sometime enemy, sometime friend, sometime captive. And he's pretty pleased to see him under these circumstances. "I see you haven't reversed the procedure and fed on the whole ship in my absence." It's good to see that his faith in Todd hasn't been shattered and that the old Wraith has kept his promise.

"It's funny, I forgot all about this when I got home. Nothing had changed, I don't think even a second had passed."

[theycallmetodd]

There's a brief flash of sharp teeth in an amused grin. "What a tempting idea. Though I do think I would not have to reverse the procedure should I decide to act on my more natural appetites. However..." Letting the humor drop aside he pulls up a chair to take a seat. "That would hardly be more in my best interests now than it was when I first arrived. Less so, in fact."

[ltcolonel]

John throws the heavy winter coat over the back of his chair and studies the Wraith. Todd looks almost at home among the humans in the bar, since there is very little tension radiating off him.

"Fill me in," he requests, "What's been happening? Are you working with other people in the lab?" Which is reasonable assumption since Todd is not keen on taking a dip into anyone's chest in a hurry.

[ancientstalker]

"Colonel Sheppard." Comes a voice from his right. A man, sat at a table, PADDs in front of him. He doesn't even look up.

"I see Q's timing is as impeccable as ever."

[ltcolonel]

"Orlin," John greets him. Once he's grabbed his milkshake, he comes over to join the guy at the table. "Why is my timing impeccable? Are you or Todd planning to overthrow the Enterprise?"

There is something very screwed up with his world view when this is his first thought.

[ancientstalker]

"I was talking about your appearance. You look as though you were somewhere cold?"

Todd? It takes him a bit, before he scowls. An actual scowl. Sheppard meant the Wraith.

"I have not spoken to the abomination in some time. There have been no signs of him having designs on the ship."

[ltcolonel]

"Oh right that." John touches at the fur on the edge of the coat. "Yeah, about that, we've had to relocate Atlantis." Yup, he announces it as casually as that, it's a talent of his. Besides, he'd like to hear that he did the right thing.

He frowns a little, Todd isn't an abomination or an animal, he's a....well he's a Todd. "It's good to hear that Todd's kept to his promise. You look quite at home, I take it's been pretty peaceful here."

John Sheppard

[redarmorhunter]

And he may, on the way, run almost - or actually - headlong into a rather tall robot stalking around a corner.

"Statement: Careful where you're going, meatbag."

[ltcolonel]

"Hey, you watch it metalhead." Sorry, but if he's going to be insulted, he's going to get at least a few of his own in. "Have you got a thing against human beings?"

[redarmorhunter]

The humans around here had the annoying tendency to talk back. It was mildly annoying. But, well, humans. What could you do? Most species were more polite.

Or at least smarter.

"Sarcasm: No, of course not. I am majorly in favour of irrational, sweaty meatbags and their many, many limitations."

[ltcolonel]

"Sarcasm tends to lose it's affect when you announce that you are about to be sarcastic," John says with some amusement. He's not a diplomat and he's never mastered the skills to be polite.

"You can call me John, or Lieutenant Colonel since you like long names like sweaty meatbags." He cocks his head on one side. "I think I'll call you Fred."

Bucky

[dust_of_life]

Fatima had just finished up a set in the training room. She was sweaty and gross but, depressingly, not even a little bit tired. Maybe it was to be expected. She'd been pushing herself pretty hard lately. Which had been building up her strength enough that it was getting...easy. Back home, she'd had to balance her training schedule with classes, missions, and some pale imitation of a social life. In Zelien, there'd been zero time for training. Here, there was nothing else for her to do.

She headed out down the hall, her iPod blaring Survivor's Eye of the Tiger in her ears. It put a bounce in her step which, in turn, made her ponytail bounce against her back. She was just thinking about it when she spotted some movement in the corner of her eye.

And for one, hysterical moment, a single thought went searing through her mind as she turned to look:

"Jefferson?"

[bestpal]

Bucky slowly straightens as the beats of the music announce her presence. "Not Jefferson. Bucky." Last time, someone else mistook him for this man. He knows the man is real, and that no one is playing with his mind.

"I was here before."

[dust_of_life]

Of course it wasn't Jefferson. Jefferson would never dress like that, for one thing. And the multiverse wouldn't be generous enough to give Jefferson back to her, for another thing.

Fatima suppressed a sigh, taking the earbuds out of her ears.

Still, the resemblance was haunting. Same hair and eyes. Same nose. Same curl to the upper lip. SHe'd never get used to it.

"Sorry," she said, turning off her music. "You look like someone I knew."

[bestpal]

"Was he important to you?" He could avoid her if it would make her more comfortable. For years he had been a ghost, it would not be hard to continue you like that.

"You look disappointed that I am not him."

Bucky (because this is probably the worst thing I can do)

[funnythingsare]

Tony is not security personnel. In fact, he moves with a deceptive casualness, perhaps natural, perhaps studied. And very possibly both. It does belie the watchfulness you might see if you catch his eye. In any event, he notices the furtive figure in the corridor as the man watches another Starfleet lackey move past.

Newcomer.

Well, Tony is a philanthropist (it doesn't quite say so on his business card, but... well... actually he has no idea what it says on his business card) and he's been there so he stops.

"Hey," he says, at a slight distance but close enough he doesn't have to raise his voice. "First time on a spaceship?"

[bestpal]

Bucky is grateful for the standing room to breathe. "Second time." He looks up, and the blue eyes sharpen, and narrow, there is a spark of recognition there, and then the moment passes. His eyebrows knit in frustration, why has this man got a certain amount of familiarity to him?

"Who are you?" He asks the question slowly, taking his time to form each word. "Should I know you?"

[funnythingsare]

Finally, Tony thinks. Far too few people know him on this ship. It's just that a man gets used to it, as annoying as having his ever move scrutinized can be. He's not always fond of being famous, but he's used to it. He's never known anything else. To suddenly be someplace where he doesn't even have a bad reputation is weird. So it's almost reassuring to be almost recognized.

Even if the man in front of him seems a little shell-shocked. Well, maybe being flung into space will do that.


"Depends. Where I'm from, it'd be weird if you didn't. Tony Stark. You from my neck of the woods, then?"

[bestpal]

Stark. The name is like a lightning bolt in his head. He knows that name. "Parents Maria and Howard Stark." He sounds like he is parroting a report. "One son, Tony Stark." His blue eyes narrow. Ice cold. "We have not met before." But he knows Tony's parents. He saw the fear in their eyes, seconds before he killed them. He does not know how to proceed. There is no order to kill Tony.