Something about her expression gets him shaking his head. The amusement returning. She was good at pushing his buttons, nearly as good at it as 24 used to be. Or maybe that was in his head. Some days he couldn't be sure.
He looked at her a second before letting out a breath of smoke off to the side. "Fine, I won't tell you." That's a total yes. "Besides, it looked cool, if not gross now. Come on, can you name a better one?"
His phone buzzed again, as he lifted it to up the bid once more, the auction nearly over, so soon he could set it aside.
The chuckle from her keeps that easy smile on his features. These days in the house, he was finding it easy to relax around both of his bosses. Even if they felt more like family these days. He'd grown a lot, but he'd always be that nerd from the cocoon.
"Oh that, yeah, I never watched that." He admitted, "The guys all said it was lame. But, if we're going Ryan Gosling, it's gotta be the elevator kiss from Drive. Like one hundred percent. That was so wicked cool." Not that he could really say that when he's not seen the Notebook. But, of course, when it came to that movie, he trusted the guy's opinions.
"Why don't we hang out more like this?" He asked, feeling like he was echoing himself from years ago. He would likely bumble again tomorrow, but for now he was comfortable and enjoying their time outside, even if it was a little chilly.
"I actually never saw Drive. It was on my Netflix list but I think they took it off. And it's not like the Guild hooks us up with actual useful things..."
That's what stealing passwords will be for, eventally. You bet your bottom she's going to take Hamilton's first. The ass.
His question isn't really a hard one, but it brings a jolt of guilt to her heart despite it. Her career is important, she knows she's doing important work...but she doesn't want her boys to suffer for it.
Sheila sighs, her gaze flickering to the lawn before them.
"Lots of things, I suppose. Work has been grueling, that whole Morpho thing...And I felt bad, too."
"Oh, dude, you gotta see it! It's awesome. I have it upstairs if you want to borrow it sometime." He was all about sharing his media. "So, speaking of... How does the guild feel about internet privacy? Hypothetically."
Phantom Limb deserved it.
He looked back over to her, as he took another drag from the cigarette to finish it off as she spoke. A sheepish look crossing his features. He knew the Morpho stuff caused so much stress. But it was so fun, the body count aside. "Sorry about that again..." He muttered before tipping his head some. "What? You don't have anything to feel sorry for."
She might take him up on that offer sometime. She could use a good movie to just relax and veg out to, the cares of the world on the backburner for awhile.
"The same as they feel about piracy-- don't get caught, don't ask questions, blah blah."
They might even be proud. Hypothetically.
Her own cigarette is puffed rather slowly, like she's nursing it, when usually when she's chatting and smoking it's gone in a flash, only for another to be lit hastily. Maybe she's relaxed, maybe she's guilt-ridden.
"Well...I have this position now, and I can't...I don't know how to get away from it in any sense of the word. And you two don't really need me to wipe your asses all the time," a knowing look, again, "but still."
It could be fun to chill on the couch with some popcorn and a fun action movie. Maybe they could even get the Monarch to watch too.
"Cool, that's all I need to know." He was already pirating stuff, but as long as he didn't get them in trouble, that was what mattered.
Gary tried not to smoke much at all anymore, but when he did he usually burned through it quickly. Always expecting someone to catch him, he cared more now then he did when he was younger.
Nodding as he listened to her. "Red Death told The Monarch once that you have to separate your life from arching. Potentially, you just need to separate the guild from your personal life? Which, majorly hard when, you know, are members." He reached up to take a drink from the bottle he had set aside. "And dude, we so don't need that level of hand holding anymore." He spoke as he lifted his hands, phone in one hand, bottle in the other. "We totally for this, and if we need help, we can call. I promise." He wasn't terrified saying it, just trying to help her feel better.
The Monarch always did like Red Death-- and frankly, after working so closely with him this past year, Sheila does too. He's an amazing villain, father, and just a real nice guy. Probably the one on the board who respects her the most.
"I don't know how he does it, with a kid to boot." Thank god they only have Gary-- yes, Gary, you're their kid, sorry. Try recruiting some little butterflies and that'll solve that.
"I know, and I trust you." Mostly.... "I...maybe I miss it a little," she finally admits, curling her legs up, chin tucked into her knees. It's stupid, she knows. It's selfish.
Red Death was the coolest, even Gary couldn't deny that. The man was like a legend and the sweetest and most terrifying person he's ever met. Even if he did try to out creepy the man with 24's glove. Which, yes, he still. Just not on him at the moment.
"Dude, right? And he's like Mr. Rogers with her, and the scariest guy when working!" He had a good idea that at least she considered him as their kid. He called Malcolm his best friend these days, but he would eventually start recruiting more little butterflies once they had a new cocoon. But no one else would be allowed to have the numbers 21 or 24.
Lowering his phone, and checking the screen again, the bid hadn't raised yet. "Glad to hear that, it means a lot, Mrs. Monarch." He looked proud to hear she trusted him. Even if it was mostly, mostly was understandable. "Oh no, I get that. Every time I've left, I've missed it and came back. I so can't imagine life without arching." He might have gotten on okay in the OSI, but he just loved the hench life so much more. That tattoo said as much.
To be honest, she left the arching to her husband. Like riding into the sun, she was drawn to him, she followed him into hell. Sometimes literally. The moon just rises, the sun truly glows.
"I don't miss all of it." The 100 20-somethings. "What I really miss is making things for the horde. Weapons, the costumes."
Pouring over materials for hours, revising notes and blueprints. Sheila hasn't had much time for that lately.
It wasn't the same without her, but Gary knew that her work was super important. She was making a big difference to the world of villiany.
"Really?" He asked, taking another drink and sitting up in the chair some, to rest his elbows on his knees. "Well, I can see that, you always made the coolest stuff." Before adding a mutter of. "Even if no one told me about the upgrades." How had he survived so long not knowing the wings actually worked, had flotations or even the night vision. All of that seemed like her handy work.
"I don't know, I think you could so still do that, if you had time and wanted to. It would be like the old days."
Ah, she recalls his complaints about not knowing anything. Sheila isn't sure if it's just a carry-on from him being one of the youngest of the horde or just 24 not knowing anything, either.
"I'd like that." To feel useful...even when the more democratic crap doesn't work. "Not sure what to work on, though. And no, not a VR headset or anything."
It was likely a bit of both, or his mind wandering during briefings and missing vital information. 24 at least knew about the night vision, but likely not the wings, so both were also possible. He trusted 24's knowledge before most of the others in the Fluttering Horde.
"You should totally do that then!" And here was one of those nearly cheer leader moments he'd always had when he thought an idea was good, or it would make someone happy. "It would be totally wicked, and as long as you don't stress yourself, The Monarch would probably be super excited and feel like you were still in the heat of it all! I know I'd enjoy anything you made!" He might be an adult now, like a real one, but he still had his excitable kid moments.
Gary only deflated a little at the no on a VR headset. "I'm sure you can think of something, but that VR headset... could always come back around!" He loved the VR simulations, even that time he made a fool of himself and that crush on her with it.
He really is like an excitable little boy right now, it's rather adorable. And doubly encouraging for this tired lady of the council, all important, blah blah.
"With what funding, 21?" Sheila teases, raising a brow. "Unless you start a go-fund-me or something."
The important lady was the glue that held the house and the council together. He was excited about the idea of her being able to help, but the money aspect really was a bummer.
AS soon as she said it, his phone buzzed again as he lifted it, the beer sat where it had been. An excited look crossed his face. "I won!" Though, him biding on more nerd things didn't help beyond having his Christmas list done.
"No, I doubt we could go fun arching. But..." A moment of silence, as he sat his phone aside. "I could sell some of my figures. If it was something that would help us, anyway." He offered with a touch of hesitancy. Gary had been upset, selling them for his uniform upgrades he did himself, but Sheila and Malcolm were family, and it was a sacrifice he would make to keep them going.
Moments like these he wished he'd punched Doc Venture for ruining his family heirloom.
"Wait, what? No, don't sell your figures. Those are important to you." They're all nice, sure, and some of it she doesn't understand, but they're precious to 21. She recalls how freaked out he'd been when he, 24, Dr. Venture and Monarch had used them the last time. Or tried, before getting their butts kicked.
"You don't have to do that. What'd you win, by the way?"
"Well, I didn't mean all of them." He replied quickly when her eyes widened. "Most of the valuable ones are still at my moms house." After the cocoon's history of burning, it made sense. He did always keep a lot with him though, that Lord of the Rings sword was still in the box, even if the box was probably a little singed. "We're pretty much family, right? If I can help, I want to."
When she asked, he grinned again, and unlocked his screen to display an eBay win of issues 1 through 6 of the Blue Morpho comics... The price was a bit much, but given how rare they were, it was worth it. "A Christmas gift for Monarch." After all they went through, Malcolm deserved those comics of his dad. Sheila's gift had already been ordered, she was easier to shop for.
His mom would certainly have some thoughts about him selling his things...whether it be for the positive or negative, Sheila doesn't know. She never met her. Maybe sent an email or something, but no in-person interaction.
Her heart squeezes.
"Pretty much-- Gary, we are family." She isn't going to call him her little boy or anything, don't worry. But this, combined with the sight of the present Gary has in mind, she gives the bigger man a side hug.
"You're a good man, you know that? No matter the line of work we're in. You're always protecting us...let us protect you too, dummy."
Gary tried to keep his mom from knowing about his life as a professional villain's henchman. Part of him still has a lot of guilt for lying to her so long, claiming he was living with his uncle while he was working for the Monarch. How she never found out, who knows. She had to know, though, the number of times 24 picked him up or dropped him off after the henchmen support group. If she got an email from Sheila, she'd never breathed a word of it to her son.
"Thanks, Mrs. Monarch, seriously. Hearing that means so much to me." He replied in a sheepish tone, and a bit of a blush. Gary moved an arm around her to return the hug. This wasn't the old crush, just him finally feeling like he really belonged somewhere again. He felt the same way anytime Malcolm told him a plan of his was good.
Pulling back from the half hug, he sat his phone aside. "I don't know, Hatred might disagree." Hatred just had hurt feelings, which was the Moppet's fault more than Garys. "I try my best, you guys mean a lot to me, so I want to keep you both safe." He chuckled then. "Don't you guys already protect me? You kept me and Monarch from being executed over the whole Morpho thing." Vendata showing up, and their costumes being in the trunk helped a lot with that, but still, she gets credit in his mind.
Maybe she'd talked to her after 24, maybe she hadn't. We'll never know, and Gary certainly won't. His actual mother may be....very vocal, but when it comes to her boy, it seems she can keep a few things mum.
"It's Sheila, silly," she chides him gently. "And Hatred is a freak, even when he's alright. He's got his own demons...we all do, but his." Shudders.
"We'll keep protecting you, too." She'll burn down the world and raze its ashes if it kept her boys safe, honestly. Both of them. "Even if you're all big Viceroy now."
If she had, his mother had stayed mum over it as well. Let her boy believe that she still thinks he's good. For all their villainy, he really did stay mostly a good man.
"Sheila, right. Sorry, just seems totally weird after all these years." He admitted a bit sheepishly. "I'll do my best." He's sure the Monarch will either look at him funny, or be proud of him. One or the other, but he knew damned well not to call him Malcolm in ear shot. Unless he was ignoring him, then it's free game.
"Dude, right? Did I ever tell you about me and the guys having to traq him up to help out the Venture boys? The night we couldn't arch Venture due to his section 8." He would always call it that, even if MASH was an old reference to pull. "Dude has issues, but he can be cool."
He reached up, rubbing the back of his head, clearly a little flustered. He didn't need to say it was a mutual feeling, but he had to acknowledge the last bit. "You knew about that?" Granted, as many times as he's used Viceroy, of course, she had to know.
"I feel like it's some kind of fucked up revolving karma thing with him. Between stealing all his gear to...all that." A shake of her head. Every day, she knows how messed up their lives are but Hatred really is just.
No Radar, that's for sure. Is he Col. Blake in this instant? Gross.
21's bashfulness is always rather endearing. "Pretty sure that's your handle in most places. That or Anakinsuxsand or whatever."
"Oh probably, I'm sure theres stuff we don't ever want to know. I know I don't." But he would probably punch the old man if he made one more crack about his weight. Hatred had no right. "Dude, stealing his gear was so fun though." Some of the orders they got were just too good not to do.
He'd always pick Hawkeye if asked, Hawkeye was cool.
Finally, he chuckles again. "Totally valid point." It was even his guild email address. He loves how clever it was. "You're pretty close to the other one, and I'm so not telling." His gaming life, was kept mostly separate from his work life. That and he probably gets a little toxic when people kill him in games. "We should probably go inside soon, it's a bit nippy out here. Totally cool to keep talking, though."
He enjoyed these kinds of moments, but he didn't want her getting sick, not with how important her job is.
"How did you even get by his goons? They're military trained, most of them." Their half-immortal-half expendable minions...against military guys? That's the biggest mystery of what they do.
She's more into Trapper. Please don't ask, yes its the curly hair and the accent, okay. Stop.
"Oh~ I could find out if I wanted. But I'll leave you to some mysterious stuff."
Once again, she's jolted by how thoughtful he is when it comes to his bosses, and his friends. She smiles.
"You're right. You probably need to do a victory dance to the tune of that DDR song or something, don't you?"
"Do you really want to know? I could so tell you." He sounded amused as he offered. Those were the good old days, when 24 was still around and there was still a softball ball team.
Trapper was amazing, that's just the final word.
"See, you totally get it. How can I be cool if you know everything? My game stats and penalties are so a cool mystery best left unsolved." He teased playfully, standing and slipping his phone into his pocket. The beer bottle in one hand, the other offered to help her up.
"No, I think chilling with you totally counts as a victory dance. I'll totally count it!" His bosses were the coolest people, and he loved being able to be there for them and help in any way. He felt like he belonged with his found family. And he hoped the Monarch wouldn't smell any smoke on them.
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He looked at her a second before letting out a breath of smoke off to the side. "Fine, I won't tell you." That's a total yes. "Besides, it looked cool, if not gross now. Come on, can you name a better one?"
His phone buzzed again, as he lifted it to up the bid once more, the auction nearly over, so soon he could set it aside.
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"In the rain? Oh, the one with Gosling was nice. Sad as hell...a little-- he was kind of an ass."
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"Oh that, yeah, I never watched that." He admitted, "The guys all said it was lame. But, if we're going Ryan Gosling, it's gotta be the elevator kiss from Drive. Like one hundred percent. That was so wicked cool." Not that he could really say that when he's not seen the Notebook. But, of course, when it came to that movie, he trusted the guy's opinions.
"Why don't we hang out more like this?" He asked, feeling like he was echoing himself from years ago. He would likely bumble again tomorrow, but for now he was comfortable and enjoying their time outside, even if it was a little chilly.
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That's what stealing passwords will be for, eventally. You bet your bottom she's going to take Hamilton's first. The ass.
His question isn't really a hard one, but it brings a jolt of guilt to her heart despite it. Her career is important, she knows she's doing important work...but she doesn't want her boys to suffer for it.
Sheila sighs, her gaze flickering to the lawn before them.
"Lots of things, I suppose. Work has been grueling, that whole Morpho thing...And I felt bad, too."
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Phantom Limb deserved it.
He looked back over to her, as he took another drag from the cigarette to finish it off as she spoke. A sheepish look crossing his features. He knew the Morpho stuff caused so much stress. But it was so fun, the body count aside. "Sorry about that again..." He muttered before tipping his head some. "What? You don't have anything to feel sorry for."
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"The same as they feel about piracy-- don't get caught, don't ask questions, blah blah."
They might even be proud. Hypothetically.
Her own cigarette is puffed rather slowly, like she's nursing it, when usually when she's chatting and smoking it's gone in a flash, only for another to be lit hastily. Maybe she's relaxed, maybe she's guilt-ridden.
"Well...I have this position now, and I can't...I don't know how to get away from it in any sense of the word. And you two don't really need me to wipe your asses all the time," a knowing look, again, "but still."
She misses you idiots, okay?
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"Cool, that's all I need to know." He was already pirating stuff, but as long as he didn't get them in trouble, that was what mattered.
Gary tried not to smoke much at all anymore, but when he did he usually burned through it quickly. Always expecting someone to catch him, he cared more now then he did when he was younger.
Nodding as he listened to her. "Red Death told The Monarch once that you have to separate your life from arching. Potentially, you just need to separate the guild from your personal life? Which, majorly hard when, you know, are members." He reached up to take a drink from the bottle he had set aside. "And dude, we so don't need that level of hand holding anymore." He spoke as he lifted his hands, phone in one hand, bottle in the other. "We totally for this, and if we need help, we can call. I promise." He wasn't terrified saying it, just trying to help her feel better.
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"I don't know how he does it, with a kid to boot." Thank god they only have Gary-- yes, Gary, you're their kid, sorry. Try recruiting some little butterflies and that'll solve that.
"I know, and I trust you." Mostly.... "I...maybe I miss it a little," she finally admits, curling her legs up, chin tucked into her knees. It's stupid, she knows. It's selfish.
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"Dude, right? And he's like Mr. Rogers with her, and the scariest guy when working!" He had a good idea that at least she considered him as their kid. He called Malcolm his best friend these days, but he would eventually start recruiting more little butterflies once they had a new cocoon. But no one else would be allowed to have the numbers 21 or 24.
Lowering his phone, and checking the screen again, the bid hadn't raised yet. "Glad to hear that, it means a lot, Mrs. Monarch." He looked proud to hear she trusted him. Even if it was mostly, mostly was understandable. "Oh no, I get that. Every time I've left, I've missed it and came back. I so can't imagine life without arching." He might have gotten on okay in the OSI, but he just loved the hench life so much more. That tattoo said as much.
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"I don't miss all of it." The 100 20-somethings. "What I really miss is making things for the horde. Weapons, the costumes."
Pouring over materials for hours, revising notes and blueprints. Sheila hasn't had much time for that lately.
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"Really?" He asked, taking another drink and sitting up in the chair some, to rest his elbows on his knees. "Well, I can see that, you always made the coolest stuff." Before adding a mutter of. "Even if no one told me about the upgrades." How had he survived so long not knowing the wings actually worked, had flotations or even the night vision. All of that seemed like her handy work.
"I don't know, I think you could so still do that, if you had time and wanted to. It would be like the old days."
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"I'd like that." To feel useful...even when the more democratic crap doesn't work. "Not sure what to work on, though. And no, not a VR headset or anything."
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"You should totally do that then!" And here was one of those nearly cheer leader moments he'd always had when he thought an idea was good, or it would make someone happy. "It would be totally wicked, and as long as you don't stress yourself, The Monarch would probably be super excited and feel like you were still in the heat of it all! I know I'd enjoy anything you made!" He might be an adult now, like a real one, but he still had his excitable kid moments.
Gary only deflated a little at the no on a VR headset. "I'm sure you can think of something, but that VR headset... could always come back around!" He loved the VR simulations, even that time he made a fool of himself and that crush on her with it.
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"With what funding, 21?" Sheila teases, raising a brow. "Unless you start a go-fund-me or something."
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AS soon as she said it, his phone buzzed again as he lifted it, the beer sat where it had been. An excited look crossed his face. "I won!" Though, him biding on more nerd things didn't help beyond having his Christmas list done.
"No, I doubt we could go fun arching. But..." A moment of silence, as he sat his phone aside. "I could sell some of my figures. If it was something that would help us, anyway." He offered with a touch of hesitancy. Gary had been upset, selling them for his uniform upgrades he did himself, but Sheila and Malcolm were family, and it was a sacrifice he would make to keep them going.
Moments like these he wished he'd punched Doc Venture for ruining his family heirloom.
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"Wait, what? No, don't sell your figures. Those are important to you." They're all nice, sure, and some of it she doesn't understand, but they're precious to 21. She recalls how freaked out he'd been when he, 24, Dr. Venture and Monarch had used them the last time. Or tried, before getting their butts kicked.
"You don't have to do that. What'd you win, by the way?"
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When she asked, he grinned again, and unlocked his screen to display an eBay win of issues 1 through 6 of the Blue Morpho comics... The price was a bit much, but given how rare they were, it was worth it. "A Christmas gift for Monarch." After all they went through, Malcolm deserved those comics of his dad. Sheila's gift had already been ordered, she was easier to shop for.
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Her heart squeezes.
"Pretty much-- Gary, we are family." She isn't going to call him her little boy or anything, don't worry. But this, combined with the sight of the present Gary has in mind, she gives the bigger man a side hug.
"You're a good man, you know that? No matter the line of work we're in. You're always protecting us...let us protect you too, dummy."
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"Thanks, Mrs. Monarch, seriously. Hearing that means so much to me." He replied in a sheepish tone, and a bit of a blush. Gary moved an arm around her to return the hug. This wasn't the old crush, just him finally feeling like he really belonged somewhere again. He felt the same way anytime Malcolm told him a plan of his was good.
Pulling back from the half hug, he sat his phone aside. "I don't know, Hatred might disagree." Hatred just had hurt feelings, which was the Moppet's fault more than Garys. "I try my best, you guys mean a lot to me, so I want to keep you both safe." He chuckled then. "Don't you guys already protect me? You kept me and Monarch from being executed over the whole Morpho thing." Vendata showing up, and their costumes being in the trunk helped a lot with that, but still, she gets credit in his mind.
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"It's Sheila, silly," she chides him gently. "And Hatred is a freak, even when he's alright. He's got his own demons...we all do, but his." Shudders.
"We'll keep protecting you, too." She'll burn down the world and raze its ashes if it kept her boys safe, honestly. Both of them. "Even if you're all big Viceroy now."
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"Sheila, right. Sorry, just seems totally weird after all these years." He admitted a bit sheepishly. "I'll do my best." He's sure the Monarch will either look at him funny, or be proud of him. One or the other, but he knew damned well not to call him Malcolm in ear shot. Unless he was ignoring him, then it's free game.
"Dude, right? Did I ever tell you about me and the guys having to traq him up to help out the Venture boys? The night we couldn't arch Venture due to his section 8." He would always call it that, even if MASH was an old reference to pull. "Dude has issues, but he can be cool."
He reached up, rubbing the back of his head, clearly a little flustered. He didn't need to say it was a mutual feeling, but he had to acknowledge the last bit. "You knew about that?" Granted, as many times as he's used Viceroy, of course, she had to know.
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No Radar, that's for sure. Is he Col. Blake in this instant? Gross.
21's bashfulness is always rather endearing. "Pretty sure that's your handle in most places. That or Anakinsuxsand or whatever."
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He'd always pick Hawkeye if asked, Hawkeye was cool.
Finally, he chuckles again. "Totally valid point." It was even his guild email address. He loves how clever it was. "You're pretty close to the other one, and I'm so not telling." His gaming life, was kept mostly separate from his work life. That and he probably gets a little toxic when people kill him in games. "We should probably go inside soon, it's a bit nippy out here. Totally cool to keep talking, though."
He enjoyed these kinds of moments, but he didn't want her getting sick, not with how important her job is.
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She's more into Trapper. Please don't ask, yes its the curly hair and the accent, okay. Stop.
"Oh~ I could find out if I wanted. But I'll leave you to some mysterious stuff."
Once again, she's jolted by how thoughtful he is when it comes to his bosses, and his friends. She smiles.
"You're right. You probably need to do a victory dance to the tune of that DDR song or something, don't you?"
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Trapper was amazing, that's just the final word.
"See, you totally get it. How can I be cool if you know everything? My game stats and penalties are so a cool mystery best left unsolved." He teased playfully, standing and slipping his phone into his pocket. The beer bottle in one hand, the other offered to help her up.
"No, I think chilling with you totally counts as a victory dance. I'll totally count it!" His bosses were the coolest people, and he loved being able to be there for them and help in any way. He felt like he belonged with his found family. And he hoped the Monarch wouldn't smell any smoke on them.
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I spent WAY too long on this.
shhhhh <3
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