Vacationing

[sentryslinger]

[Continuing this thread, in which Spy has convinced Engineer to spend a vacation with him. Fishing, fine dining, and some enemy bonding ensue.


Engineer steps into the elevator, hitting the button for their floor, pulling at his collar to loosen that next button.]

Hey, thanks again for the dinner and the suit. I'll have to put it to use some other time to justify your spendin' money on all this.

Comments

[sentryslinger]

I'm sure they might, now. The men who run these companies ain't in the best of health.

[He doesn't even seem to notice as he leans on the table.]

[not_onyourside]

I have not seen zhem een quite some time. I zhought zhey were dead.

[sentryslinger]

They aren't. And won't be for sometime unless somethin' else goes wrong with those machines that are keepin' 'em alive. That, and if there's always someone around to fix them.

[not_onyourside]

[He arches an eyebrow over his cards.]

Zhat would be you I presume?

[sentryslinger]

[His brow furrows.]

For now.

[not_onyourside]

Who else would do what you do?

[sentryslinger]

Nobody, as far as I know. They can get other engineers to take a look, but my grandfather is the one who built them the machines to begin with.

[not_onyourside]

So you see? You are far from expendable.

[sentryslinger]

I am right now, but even a machine can't keep you around forever. And once they're gone, who knows what they'll do with us.

[not_onyourside]

Probably fire us. Eef no one ees around to work for, zhen who cares eef we know what we know?

Zhat may work out for zhe best.

[sentryslinger]

Maybe, but I'm bettin' this all runs deeper than two old men fightin' over gravel.

[He swaps out two cards.]

It'd be nice to have a happy ending though, wouldn't it?

[not_onyourside]

I zhink at least a few of us deserve zhat.

[ His two pair will have to do because he's not drawing anything better. ]

[sentryslinger]

[He's not, either. At least his pair is a pair of jacks.]

You sound like you could, from what I've heard. And that's comin' from a man who barely knows ya.

[not_onyourside]

[ His two threes and two fours aren't great. But they're something at least. ]

I do not zhink I am meant to have a happy end. But zhat ees alright. So long as at least a few people do zhan I am content.

[sentryslinger]

Anyone in particular you'd wish that on?

[not_onyourside]

Well Sniper for starters. I zhink you need to relax and have a pleasant retirement. Most of zhe rest of zhe teams.

[Except RED Medics and BLU Pyros.]

[sentryslinger]

[He smiles.]

Well, you'd be on my list, as I just said. I think our Demoman could use some time off, but I don't think his mama would let him have it. That boy works no less than seven or eight jobs at a time. It's different every time I ask.

[not_onyourside]

No wonder he drinks so much.

Zhat's razzer zhoughtful of you.

[sentryslinger]

That I'd put him on my list, or that I'd even ask about his home life?

[not_onyourside]

Bozh honestly. I doubt most ever enquire what we do when not working.

[ He tops off their wine again, almost halfway through the second bottle already.]

Zhough I suppose most of our teammates do not care.

[sentryslinger]

[He nods appreciatively, taking another sip.]

They don't care, or think it's safer not to ask. The less we know about each other, the better, or that's how it goes.

[not_onyourside]

Zhe less people care when you are brutally killed.

[ He sighs, shuffling the cards. ]

I suppose zhat does make eet easier. To not care about zhings.

[sentryslinger]

In some ways. Harder in others. You'll fight harder for a team you know you can trust, especially if you feel some kind of kinship to 'em.

[not_onyourside]

I would not know.

[He pauses to look out the window, but all he can see is their reflection silhouetted.]

But I imagine zhat makes eet all zhe harder to lose zhem.

[sentryslinger]

It would. It ain't so bad, though, to have a team you care about. Men fighting by your side like brothers in bloodshed.