originally posted in:The New Dojo
[i] A familiar form sits on the stool next to him, resting her elbows on the counter and waving to the bartender to bring her a drink.
[url=https://imgur.com/a/SnAOi]Riley[/url] had healed nicely over the past week or so, many of them just looking like bad scratches. One prominent one stood out, a cut that went over her left eye and hadn't healed as nicely..Jackson could tell it would scar.
Her new outfit was..intriguing to say the least. Tight fitting leather pants paired with a revealing top, littered with knives and buckles. The outfit worked To the appeal of many of the men of the bar, but one sharp glance from her and the sight of the array of new weaponry on her made them quickly go back to their conversations. Her katana and wakizashi were nowhere to be seen, having been replaced by two matching swords over her back, and two wicked fighting knives at her hips.
The newest and most noticeable thing about her though, was the fact her hair was no longer blue, but scarlet red. Seemed like Wilson would have to find a new nickname. [/i]
"I love alcohol as much as the next girl, but you don't seem to be finding much enjoyment in it."
[i] The bartender set a glass in front of her, a dark purple drink with a sharp scent to it: vodka. Cranberry, and vodka. Smelled like there was a lot more vodka than cranberry though. [/i]
English
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"I'm not much a fan of booze. Never have been." [i]He replied, looking over to her. His face as usual was blank, he seemed tired, out of it. His eyes conveyed a world of hurt, but they observed her none the less. No matter how depressed he was, he couldn't help but look at her. She was still the most beautiful woman he'd seen, and the new outfit accentuated that. Although he didn't show it, he was very intrigued by her red hair. It looked more natural, more proper on her.[/i]
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"Why'd it get your interest today then?" [i] She questioned, head tilted slightly curiously as she sipped from her glass. She could tell something was wrong, that much was obvious. She just didn't know what, but she knew she was going to find out. [/i]
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"Kills the memories." [i]He replied, a hurt smile crossing his lips. He knew she was going to ask, and likely chew him out for it. She wasn't one for self-loathing, and normally, neither was he. The Christmas season just made things rough on him.[/i]
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"This is when you're dad was killed..wasn't it? Christmas time?" [i] She asks quietly. [/i]
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"Christmas Day." [i]He said, raising his shot glass and downing the whiskey in one swift gulp. Compared to previous behavior, this was a new low for him, or maybe Riley just had never seen him during this time of year.[/i]
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[i] She doesn't say anything for a moment, taking a drink from her glass. She knew saying sorry didn't help anything, and not much she could say would comfort him.[/i] "Tell me about him." [i] She says. [/i]
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"W-what?" [i]He sounded surprised that she asked. He'd figured she was going to do what he had done when he first met her. Wolfe was expecting her to tell him to move on.[/i]
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"Tell me about him." [i] She repeated, looking at him.[/i] "Tell me a good memory you have of your dad."
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[i]Jackson sighed, looking over at the line of bottles on the shelf behind the bar, then back to Riley.[/i] "I think I was thirteen or fourteen at the time, but anyways, it was over Thanksgiving break, and we went hunting on the first day of deer season. It was cold, unnaturally cold, like snow and ice. I was up in the top of a tree securing the tree stand, he was working on the bottom of it. I must've moved the wrong way, and my foot slid out from under me, and went out of the tree backwards. Cut my arm open on a branch coming down, smashed my wrist too, knocked myself out when I hit the ground, but at least I landed in the snow and brush. I came to a few minutes later, and he was standing over me, had my arm wrapped in his jacket, and he picked me up to take me back to the truck. The whole time, he's going "Your mom's gonna kill me... your mom's gonna kill me..." We got to the hospital, and they cleaned up my arm, set my wrist in a cast, and took care of everything. Never once said anything about missing the first day of deer season... We got back home by the end of the day, and he stopped the truck in the driveway, and looked at me. I had just woken up, I slept the whole ride home. He sat there, and he said "Christ, I thought I'd lost you. I really thought I lost you woke up in the snow. Knew someone a long time ago who died falling out of a tree, worked as a logger after he left the Corps." He was so sincere about it." [i]Jackson said, running a hand through his hair.[/i]
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[i] Riley nodded thoughtfully.[/i] "I'm glad that you had someone that cared for you. That loved you. I've never had someone like that." [i] She wasn't looking for pity, or wallowing in self-pity, but just stating a fact.[/i] "You know he wouldn't want you to do this to yourself. You're a soldier Jackson. Soldiers keep moving."
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"You've got people like that now, and thankfully none of us have died yet." [i]He said. Whether she knew it or even believed it, Clarkson and Wilson cared about her too. They knew she made Jackson happy, and they knew she was a wickedly valuable combat asset.[/i] "It's just better I stay alone and away from it all. This time of year, it's the worst. Normally I can ignore that memory, I can block it out, but Christmas lets it out of the cage."