Please don't call me ma'am. It makes it really obvious that I'm talking to the station and not the man.
[ For the longest time that's the only message that Joan sends, that particular form of address (ma'am) having been an irksome point with both the Master Chief and Sam. Up until now they've been able to avoid it, but to have it surface now in conversation makes Joan immediately wary, like he's suddenly hiding something.
She's being paranoid of course, or just irritable, though something continues to niggle at the back of her mind. ]
But Sam didn't get an opportunity to get older and wiser, did he? He told me about what happened to him. That he died.
[Oh, he did it again didn't he? Oh, that's not something he usually does, it's just habit when he does that. Which is why his apology is immediate.]
Sorry, habit. Not many respect my rank or me outside those here, not used to commanding others yet.
[That's the truth. But then he's waiting on her and he gets that and he sighs, sends another message.]
And my own daughter dies soon. She's 27, she won't get older; don't tell her that she doesn't know. War takes as much as it saves, we can't change that. Good, young people die to protect us all.
[ For all Joan gets people and has something of a sixth sense when it comes to them, she wasn't expecting that. Not at all. It stuns her, but not into silence. That's the sort of confession you don't leave having unanswered. ]
I'm so sorry. I can't even begin to understand what that must be like for you, not only in terms of yourself but in terms of her too. Interacting with her, supporting her in the things she might choose to do.
For what it's worth, I'm a former sober companion. I know there's no obvious overlap there but sometimes grief and loss factor into things. I've helped people in the past by just being there — someone they can talk to. I imagine your situation with your daughter isn't one you can really share with your colleagues or your soldiers.
But I can provide that for you, if you'd like. I know it's not my business, but I did say I wanted to help.
[No, but it does the job. It gets her off of the Spartans, it gets her focused on something else and frankly that's all he cares about, even if part of him is regretting it.
So he just focuses on that, focuses on her offer and frankly now he has to figure out how to not tell her that Miranda's mother is also the woman in charge of the Spartans. That's a bit of a well, problem.]
It's what happens when your daughter follows you into the service. We're both the same way, I knew this could happen.
[Doesn't mean he likes it though.]
For as long as I've known Dr. Halsey, there are just some things I can't talk to her about. The offer is appreciated, Ms. Watson. I'm just rather used to keeping to myself, I'm sure you can understand that, so I'm not sure how often I will take you up on it.
[ The more the commander talks about Dr. Halsey (or talks around her, as is sometimes the case), the more Joan wonders about her. What sort of woman was overprotective of Spartans, and was the sentiment born out of the kind of oaths that came with being a doctor or was it something more proprietary? She considers asking, but then puts the thought aside. ]
Sometimes just knowing the option is there can make all the difference. I'm not here to push or pry; your business is your business. Just try to keep in mind that there's a new avenue open.
[She'll discover he does that a lot, it's just habit. And he's not going to touch on what Catherine has done to the Spartans, why they're so important to her. There's a lot of issues there, some he's not touching on and won't for well, his own peace of mind if nothing else.]
I just might, who knows. People and myself have surprised me before, shouldn't be any different here.
Thank you again, for the offer, I'll be sure to keep it in mind.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
[ For the longest time that's the only message that Joan sends, that particular form of address (ma'am) having been an irksome point with both the Master Chief and Sam. Up until now they've been able to avoid it, but to have it surface now in conversation makes Joan immediately wary, like he's suddenly hiding something.
She's being paranoid of course, or just irritable, though something continues to niggle at the back of her mind. ]
But Sam didn't get an opportunity to get older and wiser, did he? He told me about what happened to him. That he died.
no subject
Sorry, habit. Not many respect my rank or me outside those here, not used to commanding others yet.
[That's the truth. But then he's waiting on her and he gets that and he sighs, sends another message.]
And my own daughter dies soon. She's 27, she won't get older; don't tell her that she doesn't know. War takes as much as it saves, we can't change that. Good, young people die to protect us all.
no subject
I'm so sorry. I can't even begin to understand what that must be like for you, not only in terms of yourself but in terms of her too. Interacting with her, supporting her in the things she might choose to do.
For what it's worth, I'm a former sober companion. I know there's no obvious overlap there but sometimes grief and loss factor into things. I've helped people in the past by just being there — someone they can talk to. I imagine your situation with your daughter isn't one you can really share with your colleagues or your soldiers.
But I can provide that for you, if you'd like. I know it's not my business, but I did say I wanted to help.
no subject
So he just focuses on that, focuses on her offer and frankly now he has to figure out how to not tell her that Miranda's mother is also the woman in charge of the Spartans. That's a bit of a well, problem.]
It's what happens when your daughter follows you into the service. We're both the same way, I knew this could happen.
[Doesn't mean he likes it though.]
For as long as I've known Dr. Halsey, there are just some things I can't talk to her about. The offer is appreciated, Ms. Watson. I'm just rather used to keeping to myself, I'm sure you can understand that, so I'm not sure how often I will take you up on it.
no subject
Sometimes just knowing the option is there can make all the difference. I'm not here to push or pry; your business is your business. Just try to keep in mind that there's a new avenue open.
You might even surprise yourself.
no subject
I just might, who knows. People and myself have surprised me before, shouldn't be any different here.
Thank you again, for the offer, I'll be sure to keep it in mind.