'cause it's all in the hands of a bitter, bitter man

[captainmcbadass]

Mack has beer, not coffee, despite what the icon may imply. He actually has a six pack that he intends to take back to Dhonal with him (whether or not this will turn out the way he's planned is another story, mind you). However; Mack is trying to figure out, since he's gathered that Sheppard sent a message to 'his family' to let someone know what

Comments

[paintedfeather]

As if by some supernatural instinct, where beer is Chas is sure to follow. He couldn't smell it, oh no, but it's like the man has some sort of radar. Chalk it up to one of the mysteries of the universe. Regardless, Chas just happens to be wandering through the Nexus. Killing time as always, when what does he spot? Why, that does appear to be a Mack in the Nexus. It's only when he's already approaching the man that he notices the six pack. Bonus points.

"Howdy, stranger." Chas grins faintly, looking as he usually does - scruffy as hell, and in an all-around good mood. "How's it goin'?"

[captainmcbadass]

"...Reyes," he says, not looking up. He doesn't really need to; there's only one person he knows who sounds like that. His tone of voice suggests perhaps today is not going as well as he'd like, but Mack sounds like that 90% of the time, and it's just when he gets really closed off and quiet that it's time to get worried.

Not that he can't yell when he's pissed.

"It's going." Succinct.

[paintedfeather]

For some reason, this just makes Chas grin all the wider. It's not often he's addressed by his last name only. He very nearly gives a little mock salute, but thinks better of it. Instead, he settles on just imitating Sumner's serious expression.

"Ah, heh... One o' those days, huh?" And this is Chas, being a nosy bastard and peering as discreetly as possible at the computer screen. "Computer issues?"

[captainmcbadass]

"Tryin' to figure out who got the death notice. Should be records of it somewhere." Mack doesn't really care if Chas looks at the screen or not, but he definitely notices, because...really, this is Mack. What do you expect. Because he is an asshole, but a generous asshole, he nods towards the six pack. "Help yourself." A beat. "To one, Reyes."

[paintedfeather]

Chas nods. Looking up who was sent news of your death? Damn, that was heavy. "Y'don't know who it went to?" He raises his brows slightly.

And then there was the offering of beer, and there's that toothy grin again. "Yes, sir. Gracias." Of course, he takes the beer (before Mack can change his mind) and takes a seat next to Mack. He's been given beer and damnit if he wasn't going to try and be helpful in exchange.

"Any idea where t'start?" There's going to be no getting rid of him now.

[captainmcbadass]

Mack does 'heavy' pretty well, which is to say he's stoic about it and just kind of gets on with shit. He's not incapable of great displays of emotion, he just...prefers to get on with his life quietly, efficiently. It works out okay, most of the time. Even if he's not sure he should be calling it his life, these days.

Hell if he knows what else it'd be.

"It'd be good if I remembered who I put down as next of kin. I don't think I...oh, goddamnit." Yeah, it just clicked. Mack never had a lot of family, and what he did have he wasn't all that close to. There wasn't anything particularly bad about the situation -- they were just different people, living different lives. So, back in maybe '91, when he'd been making big plans, he switched his next of kin from his mother (now long dead, he reflects) to Kristina Cooke.

Even after she cut him off, he never thought to change that.

[paintedfeather]

Chas can deal with 'heavy'. Usually his idea of 'dealing' with things of a heavy-nature involves a lot of humor and, occasionally, some revenge. Or alcohol, depending on the given situation.

Chas arches an eyebrow. "What? Give 'em an ex-girlfriend's name or somethin'?"

[captainmcbadass]

"Or exactly that, yeah." Mack runs his fingers through his short hair and pushes back from the computer, grabbing a beer from the pack and cracking it open, frowning at nothing in particular. "Can't imagine how that must've gone down. Woman didn't want anything to do with me any more."

[paintedfeather]

"Shit, amigo." Chas shakes his head and actually pauses to think before he speaks. Well - it's more a pause to drink, but he does some thinking while he's at it. "Most'a my exes would throw a damn party if they got that sorta news 'bout me. Hell, I think a couple o' 'em even have a wager goin'." Yeah, he's not had much great success with women.

[captainmcbadass]

Mack laughs at that, low and not really amused. He's going to take advantage of the pause to drink his own beer, yeah, 'cause there are a lot of conversations he'll have without alcohol but he's not sure this is one of them.

Not that he gets drunk any more. Drinking is one thing. He tries to keep himself within his limits, at least.

"Lola'd say it was a long time coming, I reckon. 'Course, I took her off my next of kin as soon as the divorce was finalized."

[paintedfeather]

Chas would definitely agree this is one of those conversations that warrants drinking. He shrugs a little. "Y'never know how someone'll react t'that kinda news, though. Pissed or no, findin' out someone's died ain't usually somethin' y'just shrug off." For once, he actually goes a little solemn. Death, unlike computers, is something he's very familiar with.

There goes that eyebrow again. "Don' blame ya, there. S'why d'ya figure she's the one they sent the notice to? No one else onna list?"

[captainmcbadass]

"It'd be Lola and my mother. Lola came off when we divorced." Another mouthful of beer. "And my mother came off when I put Kristina down. We weren't seeing eye to eye about some of the, uh, choices I was making." Like letting himself get crazy for a woman who was already in a relationship with someone else. He figures she was right, now, but he was younger and slightly less world-weary back then.

[paintedfeather]

"Makes sense, yeah. Wouldn' know much about goin' through a divorce, m'self - none o' the women I've been with have been crazy enough t'marry me in the first place." Or stupid enough, either works. His relationships have always been... problematic, at best. It's hard to be committed to someone who's likely to take off and may or may not ever come back.

"S'what brought about this search o' yers? The mood jus' happen t'strike ya?"

[captainmcbadass]

"Only did it once. Marriage, I mean." He's a bit regretful, there. He'd have liked to see how things could've worked out with Elizabeth, maybe, and he'd been carrying a ring in his pocket for about three weeks when Kristina stopped returning his calls. (He thinks he still had it, somewhere.) They weren't the only women in his life, through the years, but between his divorce with Lola and the abrupt, unexpected end to his trysts with Kristina, he'd steered clear of getting serious for a good long time.

"Hell of a mood." He leans forward, beer in one hand, and shuts down the computer. "Figured I should know."

[paintedfeather]

"Always wanted t'give it a shot, jus' never really hung 'round long enough t'try." Alright, Chas has gotten quite a bit regretful. He does his best to shake it off and takes another swig of his beer.

"No argument here, amigo." Another pause, and another drink of beer. "How's that tattoo healin', by the way?"

[captainmcbadass]

"Tattoo's good." He tilts his head back against the chair, closing his eyes for a second, the beer resting loose in his hand. He contemplates making some remark about his choice being classier than getting Weir'd inked across his ass, but thinks twice and doesn't actually say it.