mental link; day 49/50ish

[sizeofyourbaggage]

[ Sam's... not normally one to use the mental link to talk to the Nest in general; he still prefers in person most of the time. But the only other option he can think of for something like this is to stick up flyers, so mental link it is. With his widened connection comes the feeling of feathers and a distance rush of wind. ]

( For those of you who don't know me - I'm Sam. I'm one of the people you can find spending half the day in the training hall. I know a lot of us have got our own training routine, but I'm looking to step outside mine a little.

Guess you could call this an interest check, see who'd be up for doing some training in working together. I know everyone ain't into the team thing and I'm not asking you to be, if you don't want to. Just looking for the willing. We're all doing missions together, it'd be nice to have some practice seeing how our skills can compliment each other.

Not gonna drop my resume on people who ain't interested, but I'll answer any questions you want about my experience. Or you can find me in the training hall every morning. )

Comments

[blooded]

( What are you angling for, Sam?

the question is abrupt, tinged with frustration. he doesn't want to talk about feelings again today. he doesn't want to explain why killing misato was on his mind, why he's so worn out today, where he was last night. he wants to just... be. to separate himself from his issues and just exist, the same snarky, charming asshole he's always been. no one wants to let him do that lately, everyone wants him to feel, and even if he's accepted that he does, that doesn't mean there isn't a limit to it. )

[sizeofyourbaggage]

( Right now? Nothing. Well, maybe for you to start training with me, which is mostly code for let's do even better at wiping the floor with everyone in the next bar fight. And the next time things go to shit. )

[ Because he's honest, and the next mission, it probably will. Lives like theirs, you never know what's gonna come after them. ]

( Feels like you've already been through the ringer, man, I'm not looking to add more on top of that right now. )

[ Just, next time - there's another option. ]

[blooded]

( I don't need training. I'm a vampire. I can kill all of you without breaking a sweat.

and if he can do that to people empowered by the symbiote, imagine what he can do with normal creatures. that's not to say he won't do it, though, and the link makes that much clear. he'll play along with sam's silliness. he just wants sam to know he doesn't have to.

he doesn't say anything in response to sam's dropping the subject, but the faintest glimmer of appreciation can be felt through the link. there's a reason you're his favourite, sam. )

[sizeofyourbaggage]

[ There's a hint of something playful, too light to be called a challenge, but more along the lines of I got a few tricks up my sleeve.

Besides, there's always something out there bigger and harder than you. That ain't the point, though, and Sam does have confidence in Damon's skills. ]

( That's why I'm asking you to train with me, so I can learn to compliment what you do. 'Sides- ) [ There's a hint of a grin, teasing. ] ( One of my boytoys wants to meet you. Think he's gonna try to put you through the paces. )

[ Sam'll push, sure - but he also knows that pushing too much does nothing but make things worse. He's got no problem backing off when Damon needs it. ]

[blooded]

( You talk about me to your boyfriends? Sugartits, I'm so touched!

the words are a joke but the sentiment... kind of isn't. any time people talk about him it's usually in terms of "what destruction has he wrought now" and that doesn't tend to make people overly excited for his presence. sam hasn't seen him be overly destructive, and it's not a surprise that he'd talk about him to his friends...

except it kind of is.

Which boytoy? Tiny one, armless one, or bird one? )

[sizeofyourbaggage]

( Damn right, honeypie, what kind of drinking partner would I be if I didn't? )

[ Damon is... a not insignificant part of Sam's life, if he's putting it in mild terms. Of course he's talked about him with his friends. Not as much as he thinks about him, sure, but still.

There's another burst of amusement at Damon's descriptors, and the mental impression of Sam shaking his head. ]

( Bird one. The one who likes to lurk up in the rafters, I told him to be polite and actually come say hi with me. )

[blooded]

( damon only knows sam's boytoys theough mental impressions, really — bucky he's met, but he's the only one, and it wasn't enough to start a lasting friendship. sam's mental impressions of each of them are... well, if he thinks about damon in as glowing terms, damon would blush.

This'll be fun, he says, and weirdly enough... he kind of means it. Am I getting the shotgun talk or do you mean actual paces? )

[sizeofyourbaggage]

[ Better start blushing, then. He knows Damon is dangerous and impulsive, sure, but Sam trusts him under almost any circumstance.

Barring Elena's life being in danger or Damon being pushed to the breaking point, really, because Sam loves him but he's still practical. ]

( I'm hoping so. ) [ There's another chuckle. ] ( Actual paces, I'm pretty sure. He's probably not above a shotgun speech, though. )

[blooded]

( sam thinks he's practical enough to know the limits of damon's good behaviour, but damon knows that sam's looking at him through rose-coloured glasses. just because he hasn't had reason to do anything stupid here yet doesn't mean he's not himself, which means it's only a matter of time. sam wants to think it can be avoided if damon's in a good enough place... and damon wants sam's friendship too much to tell him that's not how it's going to work.

"Be nice to my boyfriend, new boyfriend, or else, also run this obstacle course in five seconds"? Can't wait.)

[sizeofyourbaggage]

[ All right, yeah, that's fair. Sam hasn't seen him when he's in a truly terrible place, and just because he suspects might happen doesn't mean he knows.

But he's not stupid enough to think it can be avoided. It's gonna happen, sooner or later, same as Bucky's gonna get trigger into being the Soldier again - but they deal with that as it comes, and that's the same approach he's gonna take here.

For now - well, for now amusement can spark over their link as Sam laughs. ]

( That's a pretty good impression, man, you should do it for him. He'd love it. )

[blooded]

( Is that mocking I hear, Samuel? Are you mocking me?

a brief sensation of indignance before damon laughs, unable to keep up the act. this is why he can talk to sam about things that actually matter, when he never would with misato, or stefan, or sometimes even elena. sam listens when damon says he's done, and moves on. no pushing, no sense of you would feel better if you just... damon gets to retreat while still being with someone and that is... nice. in a way he never expected, or would have thought to look for.

affection, comradery, friendship — it doesn't have to be cloying or pushy. who knew? )