[center][color=0076a3][h3][color=lightsteelblue]PERCY MOORE[/color] and [color=khaki]JOHN "JINGO" STRANGE[/color][/h3][/color][b]MESS HALL, NEW ANCHORAGE[/b][/center]
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Jingo felt nothing but sympathy for Percy, he was being a good father and couldn't see why people were casting such scorn on him. Following at a distance behind the rest, Jingo slowed to a stop by Percy's side, his eyes still on the backs of the others as they shadowed Graham. 

[color=khaki]"Me mum would 'ave 'pproved,"[/color] he mumbled, chewing the inside of his intact cheek, [color=khaki]"As do I."[/color] Jingo dropped down a little so that they were pretty much level, turing so that he could see percy from the corner of his vision. His mother had always objected to him becoming an NC pilot, from the first day he was offered the position she had begged him not to take it - it was dangerous and everyone in Falcon's Reach knew it.

Percy glanced over to Jingo briefly, not understanding at first. Then, based on the context, he said softly, [color=lightsteelblue]"Thanks, John,"[/color] He smiled for a moment before settling his eyes forward again. At least Jingo was on his side about it. If Percy was to be honest, Jingo was probably one of the two people he actually enjoyed working with, the other being Eli. Even if she and Percy didn't talk much, he never really felt like she considered him as 'lesser' or anything like that, and obviously Jingo didn't feel like he was above him either. Everyone else was on a damn high-horse, insane, or both.

[color=lightsteelblue]"Please Percy, Jingo."[/color] He now turned his eyes fully onto Percy, looking at him intensely with his good, grey eye. 

Percy would have said something in response, but he couldn't really think of what to say. He didn't exactly feel intimidated, but at the same time, getting a close look at Jingo's face was a little.. [i]daunting[/i]. He simply nodded instead of speaking.

[color=khaki]"Ye see, when I were a lad, me mum always wanted te do tha best fer me,"[/color] he thought back to when he was younger, when his mother wouldn't let him out of the house, [color=khaki]"She loved me, and she ne'er hid it from anyone. As far as Oi'm concerned, yer doin' a great job."[/color] Jingo blinked away an impending tear. [color=khaki]"Yer doin' a fine job.." [/color]

Percy grinned again and gave Jingo a friendly nudge as he mumbled, [color=lightsteelblue]"Stop gettin' all emotional, man. You're ruining the whole 'scary big guy' thing you've got going on."[/color]

Jingo looked at Percy and cocked his head to the side, giving him a hard look before he cracked a toothy smile, [color=khaki]"Yer probably right."[/color] He rose up from his crouch to his full hieght, giving Skitters a pat on his side on the way up, [color=khaki]"Shall we get going then?"[/color]

Percy stood from the bench and started to follow the group to the hangar, slowing for a moment so Jingo could follow. Jingo practically dwarfed the man as they walked side by side, catching up to within a few yards of the group; as they followed, Skitters trotting merrily between them and Jingo shifted his bag to his other shoulder so he could see Percy better. He cleared his throat.

[color=khaki]"Would ye.. Uh.. Would ye know when Madison is out of tha infirmary?"[/color] he formed the words through an unsure mouth, he found it hard to imagine the girl having hurt herself bad enough to be stuffed in an ICU. Images of pipes and restraints came to him, much like what he went through when he was in the same situation.

[color=lightsteelblue]"From what I know, she's still in a coma,"[/color] Percy said, a bit slowly, like he didn't want to have to say that, [color=lightsteelblue]"I'm not sure about specifics, I just make sure she hasn't died."[/color] the redhead looked down at the floor, breaking whatever eye contact they had made for a couple seconds. A part of him almost felt like it was his fault that she was in such a state, and he didn't want Jingo to see that. He knew that, logically, it wasn't - he didn't do anything that would have lead to her going into the ICU - but it didn't really stop him from feeling like he did.

Skitters looked up at the pair from where it was, trotting between them, it's camera zooming in on their features and regestering the morose expressions in both of them. It brushed up against Percy's leg much like a cat would, looking up at him and checking for any change in expression before doing the same to Jingo.

Percy gave the robot dog a look-over, giving him a little pat on his head before it clicked - this was a robot dog. His calm changed into more of a surprise. [color=lightsteelblue]"How long has this been a thing?"[/color] Percy put his hand on Skitters' head again and looked him over again. [color=lightsteelblue]"I definitely don't remember it being here before."[/color] Jingo snorted, looking down at Skitters with a look of adoration.[/color]

[color=khaki]"Remember when ee left?"[/color] he asked, [color=khaki]"Te settle those issues with me inheritance?"[/color]

[color=lightsteelblue]"Yeah."[/color]

[color=khaki]"Well this bag o' bol's is part of it,"[/color] He gave Skitters a friendly kick, sending it side stepping into Percy and activating it's defense. From the front of his snout, two metal contacts rose up from the metal surface and sparked, Skitters' taser snapping into life, [color=khaki]"Come now Sk'ers, ye know ye like it."[/color] 

The robot dog looked away, its tail between its legs and its defense returning back into the compartments from where they came.