(Untitled)

[trigger_man]

  Jack's been out of the bar for a little while, and when he returned a couple days ago, he found that Bar had replaced all the books in his room with romance novels and his ebook reader had mysteriously disappeared. He'd managed to hold out for a couple days, but in desperation for anything else to do, he's started reading the book bar had given

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[hallelujahpilot]

"...is reading romances some kind of Army thing no one talks about?" Trudy asks him, taking a seat nearby. Given her clothes - jeans, boots with a slight heel, red leather jacket - she's come from the bar, not Pandora.

[trigger_man]

"Yeah, we all sit around painting each other's toenails and reading them," Jack says with dry sarcasm.

[hallelujahpilot]

"I knew it!" She cackles.

[trigger_man]

Jack rolls his eyes. "Bar's gave this one to me a couple weeks ago. I refused to read it and left the bar for a while, and when I got back she'd replaced every book in my room with romance novels."

[hallelujahpilot]

Pause.

"She. Can do that?"

She would prefer it if her and Carl's book collections were kept seperate, thank you.

[trigger_man]

"Apparently." Jack puts the book down and takes a sip of his drink. "Though I think she only does that kind of thing when she's trying to punish someone or make a point. I'm not sure exactly which she's trying with me."

[hallelujahpilot]

Trudy...has a few ideas. But she's not going to say any of them.

"Read things with a happy ending?"

[trigger_man]

"The stuff I read usually has a happy ending. It just usually involves shootouts and things blowing up."

[hallelujahpilot]

"Maybe. Happy with less bodies and gun-induced deafness?"

Beat.

"Not that they ever seem to get deaf in romances."

[trigger_man]

"Sorry, what did you say? I couldn't quite hear you," Jack says, deadpan.

[hallelujahpilot]

With most of her friends, she'd hit them at this point - shove their shoulder and laugh. With Jack, she restrains the urge and just smirks at him.

"Sorry. You're gonna have to find a pretty girl to shack up with if you're gonna avoid hearing aids."

[trigger_man]

"Guess I'd better check and see whether my health insurance covers them now, in case I need to save up."

[hallelujahpilot]

"Could. Replace them with biomechanical implants?"

Trudy's time can be slightly prosthetic happy.

[trigger_man]

"I think they're still working on those in my time, and they definitely aren't covered by my insurance."

[hallelujahpilot]

She laughs softly.

"Sorry. I keep forgettin' you're from the past."

[trigger_man]

"I'm not talking an ear trumpet here." Jack takes another sip of his drink. "And anyway, I'd rather not have doctors poking around that close to my brain, thanks."