ORP: Bruised and Scarred

[Kieran "Bear" O'Shea]

2200 Hours
Mess Hall
Stargate Command

Kieran was grumpy. Not only had he spent far too long of his time in the infirmary on this base while many of his fellow expedition members were possibly suffering back on the other side of the gate but too many had died here despite what the medical staff tried to do to help them. He was angry, not at the staff, but at what happened, and he was itching to get back through that gate and find a way to save his people; the men and women that he began to call family. He had watched one of his best friends die in one of the explosions and many more die from wounds after. That was war though. He knew it better than anyone, but it didn't make it any easier to sleep at night, the faces of those lost and the injuries they succumbed to flashing before him every time he closed his eyes.

After his release from the infirmary, the young Sergeant found his way to the Mess Hall, wanting to find something a little more edible than whatever it was they gave him to eat while he was a patient. As he waited in line his hand absently reached up to touch the wound he had received on his freewill through the gate upon his arrival. He shook his head, careful not to move too quickly out of a small fear that he would somehow find his way back to the infirmary if he got nauseous or dizzy from a simple movement. 

By the time he reached the food, his gaze traveled over it; nothing that looked quite edible, but he settled on a spoonful of this, and a spoonful of that before he grabbed two servings of jello for himself and found an empty table in the back. He took a cautious bite before determining that the food wasn't that awful and washed it down with a sip of the glass of water he grabbed on his way to the table. Food was food, and right now he was famished, so he was sure he'd eat anything that was put in front of him. 

He finished the main course rather quickly before he reached for the jello and poked it with his fork. Green. Who actually liked the green stuff? He preferred red, or orange, or even blue, but green? His face scrunched up in disgust as he took a bite of it. Disgusting. Absolutely disgusting. He sighed and poked at it once more, trying to decide if it was worth it. He did love jello, but was it worth it to eat this nasty one?

He was pulled from his thoughts when someone cleared their throat in front of him and he looked up, one brow raised. "Well, are you going to stand there all day mate or take a seat?" He asked, motioning to the open seat across from him.

< Tag: Anyone >

[Cara Coyle]

2200
Stargate Command
Mess Hall

Cara was thankful for the little things, one was a mess hall that was open at weird hours to accommodate the weird ones that occupied weird hours for various reason. Nothing was worse then losing yourself in your work, forgetting to eat dinner, and then having to wait until the ungodly hours of the morning for breakfast. She had been helping to put the Stargate back together, running numerous diagnostic tests to make sure that operations could go back to normal. General Carter had been appreciative of the help as she had a base to run, she had her own staff to do these type of things but the extra help was nice. During this time Cara had ignored her own work. While she was getting food, she had her phablet of a phone sitting on the tray, causally scrolling through her messaged with one hand and carrying the tray with the other, slowly strolling the mess hall aimlessly towards one of the empty tables, not many people were there at the time.

Her strolling had come to a stand still as she was actively reading something, she preferred to just stop walking and read then run the risk of bumping into something or someone. Her throat was dry so she cleared it, and it was then that she heard an Irish brogue cut through her thoughts of what she was reading, "Well, are you going to stand there all day mate or take a seat?"

Cara looked up in front of her, realized that she must of have looked like she was wanting to sit with him or something for the amount of time she had stood there stationary. Rather then let herself feel embarrassed, Cara quickly looked around, then whole table next this gentleman's was empty as well. She then decided to take the seat across from him, BUT the next table over. She looked at him, took a drink of water and cleared her throat again, this time doing the trick. She gave him a polite smile, with a hing of sass, before activating her phone once again to continue to read.

<tag Kieran "Bear" O'Shea >

[Kieran "Bear" O'Shea]

2201 Hours
Mess Hall
Stargate Command

His hazel eyes stayed locked on the woman who stood in front of the table, trying to figure out who she was, and if he knew her from anywhere. He couldn't place it and simply shook it off as he pulled another spoonful of jello to his lips and ate it, despite how much he hated the green stuff. He saw no military insignia on her so he figured she was a doctor, scientist, or someone to that affect. Not that it mattered; he would only have something to think twice about if it turned out she was his superior officer. She had this air about her that he couldn't figure out; more confidence than most of the scientists had, and a gracefulness that drew his attention in. What is was he couldn't pinpoint.

He watched her, curiosity sparked in his gaze when she moved to sit at the table next to his and that look she gave him caused the young man to chuckle, the corner of his lips curled up in an amused smile before he shook his head and looked back to his food. He finished off one of the two jello cups he had gotten himself and placed the other on the table before rising to his feet and he walked the tray over to the disposal station and set it down. He grabbed a second spoon and picked the jello up before placing it down beside Cara, a peace offering of sorts.

"It's not their best flavor, but seeing how I grabbed the last two..." his voice trailed off and instead of speaking further he simply offered her a smile and a wink. He pulled his hand back from the cup and moved to take a seat across from her. It was nice to have a (somewhat) friendly face around here. Everyone else he had run into lately didn't want to have any conversation outside of the attack or simply brushed him to the side, so perhaps this woman wouldn't mind the company. If she did, he'd see his way out and find someone else to converse with.

< Tag: Cara Coyle >

[Cara Coyle]

2201
Stargate Command
Mess Hall

Not many people get that when I person chooses a space to themselves, it probably means something. Cara was used to this, the burdens of being introverted. Some thought this was a sign of a challenge, to get her to open up and get out of her shell, as if she were something buried underneath and just needed something to bring it up to light.

Cara thought she may have won as she sensed the man get up from he seat to deposit his tray at the drop off area. Cara dug into the pasta that they had served, it wasn't the best that she had had, but she imagine that it could have been worse. Cara closed an app on her phone with a little frustration, she had been dealing with a certain person's correspondence who was a little bit of a social idiot and felt the need to bother her for many asinine reasons. She was about to open up a game app, a rare occasion, when a green gelatin cup was placed by her tray, "It's not their best flavor, but seeing how I grabbed the last two..." he sat down in front of her. Her head tilted to the side with focused eyes. She could brush him off, really easily if she wished, it what she felt like doing. It was easier to be alone. But at the same time it wasn't like they were out in public and that this was just some random stranger. He belonged here, or belonged off world, which meant he was an individual who had gone though several hoops and gotten certain people seal of approval. It earn him some cordiality from her at least.

Besides...sometimes she just need a distraction, apart from one that would just drain the battery on her phone.

Cara placed her phone screen side down onto the table beside her. It was her own sign to let others know they had her attention. Cara ate another forkful of pasta as she studied her new table companion. "It's quite alright," Cara said after she swallowed pushing the cup with her fork back towards him, "I find American Jelly quite abhorrent no matter the colour." She took note of how extremely posh she just sounded, results of being home for the past month.

Cara noticed the injury to his head, it was fairly new, probably happened with all the excitement they recently had. "Was that from bravery or stupidity?" she asked about the injury. She loved playing the game of how long she could keep the topic off herself.

<tag Kieran "Bear" O'Shea>

[Kieran "Bear" O'Shea]

2201 Hours
Mess Hall
Stargate Command

She didn't shoe him away, so that gave him an extra point than he thought he would get. He was happy for that much, and decided that staying here would be the best option for now. Out of habit he kept his arms off the table and instead sat up straight, hands folded on his lap as he studied his new companion. He kept quiet, waiting for her to stay something, and when she turned her phone screen side down on the table he took that as a good sign.

He shrugged, reaching for the jello and scooped up a spoonful before taking a bite. Despite how much he despised the green flavoring, it was food, and he was still starving despite having already eaten. "I find American Jelly quite abhorrent no matter the colour." -- her words caused a quiet chuckle to leave his lips as he brought another spoonful to his lips. He wiped at the corner of his mouth with the back of his scarred hand before he shrugged. "I much rather have the red or orange kind, but it'll do. Jello is jello," he spoke with a shrug and placed the cup down in front of him.

His fingers absently ran over his scarred hand and forearm, a reminder of the horror he went through before ever being assigned to the Stargate Program. The burn scars he could have gotten fixed with a little extra money but he chose not to; they were a reminder of a lifetime ago, of a friend he lost, and the day that he transitioned from a boy to a man. Others may have found the scarring to be unsightly, but Kieran never was one to care what others thought of him.

"Was that from bravery or stupidity?" When she spoke his hand moved to his head - the wound he had sustained from the newest bout of angry fake gods. He shrugged, reaching for the cup once again and he took another bite. "A bit of both, I suppose. But doesn't every brave act require a small amount of stupidity?" He questioned, another smile playing at his lips once he finished the jello cup and he placed it down and to the side in front of him. 

"How long have you been apart of this program for?"

< Tag: Cara Coyle >

[Cara Coyle]

2202
Stargate Command
Mess Hall

"I much rather have the red or orange kind, but it'll do. Jello is jello," Cara smiled warmly. "I'd rather have a nice raspberry cider jelly, with a nice ricotta cream on the side. But I don't think it's feasible for the budget here. Plus, the alcohol of course. Or..." Cara thought about it, using her fork to accentuate what she was talking, "a nice lemon posset! American desserts are just rubbish sometimes." Yes Cara...continue fantasizing about desserts, out loud, great conversation skills.

"...doesn't every brave act require a small amount of stupidity?" She pondered for a moment, he did have a point.

"And now I have you pegged for a soldier." she mused at him. At least it sounded a very soldiery type thing to say. He asked her how long she had been apart of the program. "Long enough to be getting an invitation to a 10 year anniversary reunion." It had been 10 year, plus some. She spent a few years in this very mountain, working on her dissertation for her first PhD, while working and learning about the Universe first hand. She wished she had some tea.

<tag Kieran "Bear" O'Shea >

[Kieran "Bear" O'Shea]

2202
Mess Hall
Stargate Command

The woman's little ramble about desserts made Kieran raise a brow before a light chuckle of amusement left his lips. All the desserts she spoke of sounded heavenly, but the young man had gotten so used to eating food from the mess hall that he couldn't remember the last time he had a 'real' meal let alone a tasty dessert. What a shame that was. "They all sound quite delicious. Perhaps I'll have to venture out into the real world to find something similar to satisfy me."

She only just had him pegged for a soldier? That was interesting to say the least. Most were able to tell almost immediately, but most others he saw on a daily basis were soldiers themselves. Perhaps it was just easier to pick up on a fellow soldier than someone else. He rubbed at his jaw, "Guilty as charged. This will be my twelfth year in the service. Royal Marines to be exact," honestly Kieran didn't know what his life would have become had he not decided to join and follow in his father's footsteps. The military had become his life.

"Over ten years in this program is quite a feat. I take it you enjoy it if you haven't run away screaming yet," he replied with a soft chuckle as he dropped his hand to rest on the table. He enjoyed learning about other people and this woman across from him intrigued him. He wanted to know more. "You're not a solider, so my next guess would be a brain of sorts. Scientist perhaps?"

< Tag: Cara Coyle >

[Cara Coyle]

2203
Stargate Command
Mess Hall

""Over ten years in this program is quite a feat. I take it you enjoy it if you haven't run away screaming yet," Cara thought back to that moment when she woke up in a hospital after a 4 month coma after being shot by Ba'al that one time, the not having any memory of anything she had done with the Delta expedition, not remembering the friend she made or any relationships that had formed. She remembered going back to the expedition and not being able to hack it. She remembered coming back to Earth and finding herself various lab projects to work on for the last 7 years. "I have ways of...coping." she said morosely. Ways of coping and lot of ways of burying regret.

Her thoughts were on a certain individual she saw earlier, one she knew for certain would be in the infirmary right now. In her heart she wanted to bring him something from the mess hall, food or something, but she had made her choice long ago. She left the expedition....she left him. All she got from him was a 'hey' and a puzzled look earlier that day in the chaos.

"...a brain of sorts. Scientist perhaps?" she hadn't been listening all the way as she was eating...lost in thought. But it was easy to tell this Royal Marine was fishing for more info about her. Mystery woman in the mess hall, still wearing her nice dress for the party she missed out on. She never got a chance to go back to her room in the last several hours and change.

Right...distraction. She was not letting him be one, when that was the whole purpose of entertaining his intrusion. "Yes, I am." was all she responded to as she took a sip of her water. "What else can you deduce Sherlock?"

<tag Kieran "Bear" O'Shea>

(OOC: sorry that took longer then I wanted to respond....it's been a hell of a week)

[Kieran "Bear" O'Shea]

2204
Mess Hall
Stargate Command

The woman didn't seem as if she was all there mentally throughout the entirety of this conversation. Maybe it was the late hour, or perhaps it was just how she was; a woman wrapped up in her own thoughts, which Kieran could understand completely. He was tired as well, and the throbbing pain in his head hadn't went away despite the medicine the good  ol' British doctor had given him. He rubbed at his jaw, his calloused fingertips scraping over the five o'clock shadow that was starting to grow as he watched the woman across from him. He wondered what she had seen in all her years in this program, what kinds of horrors and wonders alike. 

"What else can you deduce Sherlock?"

That was a loaded question if there ever was one. While he was a Royal Marine, a grunt at that, there was more to him than met the eye. He intended, if he ever got out of the service, to continue his education in psychology, as he already held a bachelor's. Perhaps that was something he could focus on next. The study of the human mind fascinated him, and watching the woman in front of him he could tell her wheels were turning in her head and he was trying to figure her out. 

He tapped the table in front of him with his index finger, finally bringing his shoulders up in a half shrug, "You've seen hell and got through it, but it seems as if part of it is still hanging onto you," he replied after a long moment of silence passed between them. "But I suppose all of us have, in a way, being part of this program. Something's tugging at you though - more than anything else."

< Tag: Cara Coyle >