It was a beautiful day and Celeste had decided to spend it relaxing with Chance. They had been training particularly hard for the past few weeks, and she was tired so she knew Chance was itching for a play break. She grabbed a blanket, the book she had been wanting to read, Chance's leash, and favorite tennis ball and called for him.  She clipped his lead on as they walked out the door, and handed the other end to him so he could walk himself.  It wasn't like he was going anywhere, besides he always pranced around like he was something when he got to hold the leash.

When she arrived at the park Celeste noticed that several others had the same idea she did. The small park was full of people enjoying the day. Chance barked and jumped around in circles eyeing the bright red ball in her hand. "Ok... Ok... I know you want me to throw the ball. Come here." She unclipped his leash and set it down next to her as she spread the blanket out on the warm grass and took a seat.  She tossed the ball for him a couple times before she opened the book and lay down to read.  She continued absentmindedly throwing the ball as she got interested in what she was reading, eventually Chance came and lay next to her setting the ball in between his front paws before laying his head down. Patting his head and scratching behind his ears she spoke to him about anything and everything. 


Tag: Ssgt. Sherman Sullivan


OOC: I hope I gave you something to work with... if not let me know and I can add something.

The day was good. Sherman had been in the garage tending to his vehicle, making sure she was functional; and though not officially a mechanic, he knew enough to get him by. Tires were good, the windows hadn't been cracked, no bullet holes that needed to be repaired. Sherman ran his hand across the body of the MRAP before deciding that the day was too pleasant to waste and it seemed that he was on his own time now.

He quickly changed into something of more civilian in nature; white polo shirt and a pair of dark blue trousers.

The walk over to the park was pleasant, with a little breeze to balance out the heat and people were out and about, which was always nice to see. His hands were tucked into his pockets as he strolled into the park, a gentle smile on his face behind the sunglasses as he glanced around. It was not too long until he began to settle himself down on a park bench, spreading himself out.

His time had been preoccupied by a yellow Labrador dashing backwards and forwards chasing after a ball of some sort, it was always great seeing dogs run and having fun. Seeing that the dog was settling by his owner, Sherman slowly got to his feet and approached. He didn't know the dog nor did he know the owner, so there was an air of caution as he approached.

"'Scuse me, ma'am, I don't mean to interrupt but what's your dog's name?"


Tag: ( @celeste )

Celeste was so caught up in her book and talking to Chance that had the dog not raised his head she probably wouldn't have even known that there was anyone talking to her. She looked up from her book and noticed a man in a bright white polo shirt and sunglasses speaking to her. "Chance, his name is Chance." She said as she closed her book and sat up again. Upon hearing his name the dog snatched the tennis ball in his mouth and sat up excitedly wagging his tail again.

Extending her hand towards the man she smiled adding, "And my name is Celeste, but it's ok... I'm used to playing second fiddle to Chance here. I get it though, he is pretty amazing." Chance whined a couple times thumping his tail even harder, "Ok boy..." she held out her hand and the dog obediently dropped the ball in her hand turning around and jumping up and down barking excitedly in front of her. She laughed and tossed his ball for him again.

Looking up to the man she offered with a smile, "You're more than welcome to have a seat and toss the ball for him some if you want...or you can stand, Chance doesn't care and he'd love you forever. Tossing the ball is almost as good as a belly rub in his mind. Plus I wouldn't mind the company either, as much as I love talking to Chance here he's not much for conversation."

Celeste laughed as Chance realized that she was occupied so he moved to sit in front of Sherman with the ball in his mouth and whined. "He thinks you're going to toss his ball for him, so he already likes you better than me right now." Looking at the dog she laughed and called him a traitor under her breath.

Tag: Ssgt. Sherman Sullivan

"Chance, his name is Chance."

Sherman nodded, looking from the dog to the owner with a smile.

"And my name is Celeste, but it's ok... I'm used to playing second fiddle to Chance here. I get it though, he is pretty amazing."

"Prosti - sorry, it's very nice to meet you Celeste. Name's Sherman," He stuck out a hand to introduce himself properly as he listened to the dog whine, watching as it dropped the ball as it had been instructed - much to Sherman's surprise. A very well trained dog. "Yellow Lab, right? Seems very well trained."

As Celeste told him he was allowed to sit and converse, throw the ball for the dog, he gave her a grin. Yeah, he did go a little soft around dogs - but then again, who didn't?

"He thinks you're going to toss his ball for him, so he already likes you better than me right now."

Sherman glanced down at the dog before kneeling and going to take the ball off Chance, quickly standing up and made sure the dog was still following before throwing the ball. "I doubt it, I'm just a stranger to Chance. You're more favored because you're his owner." Watching as the dog ran after it, he lowered himself down to the ground so conversing was not going to be awkward.

Tag: (@celeste)

When the man spoke in another language she quirked a brow but shook his hand, "Nice to meet you too Sherman." She nodded when he asked about Chance's breed and commented that he seemed well trained. "We work hard to keep him that way, he has to be... he's my partner. We've been training almost non stop the past few weeks so I decided we both deserved a day off."

She watched him grin as she told him he could play with the dog. It really was neat to see how people reacted to Chance, most like Sherman had been were drawn to him and wanted to play. She couldn't help but smile back at him as she watched him kneel to take the ball before tossing it.

"Chance loves me, but sometimes I think that if I didn't feed him he would love the ball more. The ball doesn't make him go to work every day, and I do. He loves his job though and he's amazing at it, one of the best I've ever seen and the trainers seemed to think so as well. He'll definitely love you forever though if you keep tossing that ball and throw in a few belly rubs." Turning to look at Sherman, "So I'm curious, what brings you to small town Tierney and what language was that you spoke earlier?"

Tag: Ssgt. Sherman Sullivan

"We work hard to keep him that way, he has to be... he's my partner. We've been training almost non stop the past few weeks so I decided we both deserved a day off."

Sherman grinned, it was really nice to see dog and owner being so close to one another, "And, I'm sure it's well-earned too." It did not take too long to work out that Celeste was a dog handler and in a town like Tierney - it was high chance that she was of military background but he did not want to presume anything.

He chuckled slightly as he heard that Chance liked belly rubs, "It would have been nice growing up with a dog around, but I guess my parents thought three children were enough work. Especially with me around."

"So I'm curious, what brings you to small town Tierney and what language was that you spoke earlier?"

"I'm a vehicle commander at the JTF. Used to be with the Marines. How about yourself?" Sherman replied. "Oh, uh, you caught that. I'm part-Russian on my mother's side. Gets a little muddled up in my head at times." Especially when nervous. That was a part of himself that he was not willing to divulge as of yet. "How long have you had Chance?"

Tag: (@celeste)

Celeste smiled at Sherman as he played with Chance. The dog was bounding around happily chasing his ball and bringing it back, and if the ball was not thrown again fast enough for his liking he would bark. She laughed, Chance usually didn't take to others quite as quickly as he had Sherman but maybe he sensed that Celeste was comfortable with the stranger.

When Sherman commented on the fact that it would have been nice to have a dog growing up Celeste laughed again, "Yeah... I can't remember a time when I didn't have some kind of dog. I was constantly dragging them home. My older brothers appreciated it because if I was playing with the dog I was leaving them alone. My parents had five of us running around, but the poor nannies dealt with us more than they did. We kept them occupied or terrorized, that's for sure."

As she listened to the fact that Sherman was with the JTF and a vehicle commander she smiled and nodded, she had thought she'd seen him somewhere before. "Army dog handler, JTF as well... I thought you looked vaguely familiar to me, Chance and I have been so busy working with the trainer lately trying to get both of us ready to perform our duties here that I haven't had time to meet very many of our new colleagues yet."

When Sherman mentioned that his mother was Russian and the words got jumbled in his head sometimes she smiled, "That's great... not that they get jumbled, but knowing another language has to be helpful. I wish I knew another language... always wanted to study German in school, but my mother never thought it was useful. Of course if it didn't have anything to do with beauty pageants, modeling, or acting nothing I chose to do was high on her priority list."

Tag: Ssgt. Sherman Sullivan

Sherman couldn't help having a smile on his face as he watched the dog bound around, running after the ball and returning it. He wondered what often went through the minds of the dog when they engaged in such activities; did they think why the owner was throwing it away again? Or did they understand the deeper meaning of playing fetch? He knew dogs were very intelligent creatures, so he banked on the latter.

"Army dog handler, JTF as well... I thought you looked vaguely familiar to me, Chance and I have been so busy working with the trainer lately trying to get both of us ready to perform our duties here that I haven't had time to meet very many of our new colleagues yet."

Once she had said that, Sherman frowned in concentration. Yes, he had seen her before around the base now that she had mentioned it, "Ah, I see. Yes, I was wondering why you looked familiar, now I know." His face lightened back up into a soft smile. "Me too, I've been trying to settle in and get to grips on how things work. Shame we both were too busy. How are you finding being a part of JTF?"

"That's great... not that they get jumbled, but knowing another language has to be helpful. I wish I knew another language... always wanted to study German in school, but my mother never thought it was useful. Of course if it didn't have anything to do with beauty pageants, modeling, or acting nothing I chose to do was high on her priority list."

"Ya mogu nauchit' tebya," Sherman paused, sighed as he realised that he spoke Russian again. Curse his nerves. "I, uh, could teach you Russian...if you wanted? As it seems a shame that your mother did not view learning a language useful."

When Chance would return, Sherman gently scratched behind his ears before moving his hand down to the belly to rub it.

Tag: (@celeste)

Celeste watched in silence grinning as the two played, Chance seemed to be taking to Sherman like they had been friends forever. She laughed at the two of them a couple times when the dog would do something particularly funny. At one point Chance got so excited that he ran in circles barking, happily throwing the ball for himself for a few moments.

As Celeste mentioned that she was a dog handler for the Army she saw Sherman frown, she tentatively bit her lip hoping that she hadn’t said or done anything to upset the man, but when he smiled again so did she. “Oh, uh yes… the JTF is pretty nice I like it. It’s really amazing to see people from so many different branches and civilians come together and work so well as one unit. We like it so far, but haven’t really gotten to do much yet.”

Chance came and sat next to her for a moment panting heavily, taking a moment to pour him some bottled water out into a bowl she patted him on the head and scratched behind his ears. “You’re playing awful hard today buddy, I bet you sleep really well tonight.” After lapping at the water for a bit Chance picked up his ball and ran to sit in front of Sherman again. "He really likes you." She mused.

Celeste smiled as she heard him revert back to Russian, when he sighed and corrected himself she smiled even bigger. “Yeah, wow you’d do that? I mean that sounds great! I’d like that. As for my mother, I don’t think she even views me as useful at this point. I didn’t exactly take the career path that she had in mind for me.”

Watching the dog and man interact made Celeste happy, the fact that someone else was getting to enjoy Chance as much as she did caused her to smile as she looked on. When Sherman started rubbing his belly Chance rolled over on his back and his tongue lolled out of his mouth on one side. She reached down to rub his belly a bit as well, “Now if you had food he really would like you better than he likes me.” She laughed.

tag: Ssgt. Sherman Sullivan

Sherman watched the dog run around, the ball being thrown by the dog itself was an entertaining watch indeed. He chuckled as he turned back to listen to Celeste.

“Oh, uh yes… the JTF is pretty nice I like it. It’s really amazing to see people from so many different branches and civilians come together and work so well as one unit. We like it so far, but haven’t really gotten to do much yet.”

He nodded, watching as Chance came over panting - before being served up a bowl of water. "It's pretty unique, as far as I can see. I'm sure everyone will get their chance, no pun intended, to be involved in something. I've been running training with my friend, William Cross, with the Cougar HE's."

Sherman scratched his head as Celeste turned to him, saying that Chance really liked him, biting his tongue and taking the extra moment to compose himself - in hopes that he wouldn't spew Russian out as he had been doing. He let out a grin in response instead.

“Yeah, wow you’d do that? I mean that sounds great! I’d like that. As for my mother, I don’t think she even views me as useful at this point. I didn’t exactly take the career path that she had in mind for me.”

"I wouldn't mind, with the amount I'm speaking now, I'm probably subconciously teaching you some already," Sherman mused. "I do understand the feeling. I didn't exactly take my parents' path either. They...er...both were pacifists, but they came to respect my decision to join up. But, your mother shouldn't say you're not useful - if you don't mind me saying?"

“Now if you had food he really would like you better than he likes me.”

He chuckled, rubbing Chance's stomach still with a wider smile. This was the most relaxed he had felt for quite some time since the incident before he arrived in Tierney, "Then it's a good thing I haven't got food on me at the moment, wouldn't want to make the dog choose stranger over owner and best friend."


Tag: (@celeste)
Notes: Hope it's alright?

Celeste was enjoying listening to Sherman laugh and couldn’t help but let out a small giggle when he made the joke about Chance’s name. “Oh, it’s great that you’ve a friend here to work with…” As she heard the friends name she thought about it for a moment before she realized that she didn’t know the other man by name at least. Celeste was much better with faces than she was names. “Not sure that I know him either, like I said we’ve been too busy to do much socializing. Having friends close by would be about the only thing that could make this base any better.”

She watched him scratch his head and pause, almost as if thinking of something to say. He seemed to settle on a grin in response and she smiled back at him, “I mean Chance is always friendly, but this takes it to a new level… he must have decided that you’re ok, and that there’s nothing to worry about. Plus you’ve taken the time to play with him and rub on him.”

Celeste was floored by his offer to teach her Russian… she hadn’t ever exactly had anyone offer to take time out of their busy lives to teach her something before. She shrugged and smiled when he said he was probably teaching her some because of the amount he was speaking to her already. “It’s ok, I think it’s kind of cute.” She had already taken a drink of water before she realized that she’d said that outloud which caused her to instantly blush and almost choke on the water that she was drinking. “Oh, um oops… I really didn’t mean to say that outloud, I’m sorry just ignore me.”

She sighed happily when he continued speaking, “That’s great that they respect your decision… My parents were proud of my brothers, but I think because I’m a girl they had a harder time dealing with it. I had modeling and acting shoved down my throat from the time I can remember, I think it truly surprised and disappointed my mother when I didn’t choose to follow in her footsteps. I don’t mind you saying that at all, I appreciate the sentiment… but I’m not sure you could convince my mother of that.”

She laughed when Sherman said it was a good thing he didn’t have food, “You’re not a stranger to Chance any more silly, you’re his friend. You’ve played with him and rubbed his belly… that moves you up to friend status, and I guarantee that when he sees you again he’ll remember that you’re his friend and expect more of the same.”

Tag: Ssgt. Sherman Sullivan

“I mean Chance is always friendly, but this takes it to a new level… he must have decided that you’re ok, and that there’s nothing to worry about. Plus you’ve taken the time to play with him and rub on him.”

Sherman's grin hadn't faltered as he set his gaze back onto Chance. His mind had mostly been occupied with the dog, so that his nerves had not gotten thrown out of whack as he held the conversation. His hand moved to scratch Chance's head gently as he turned back to Celeste, her next words causing a falter in his concentration.

“It’s ok, I think it’s kind of cute.”

"Milyy?" (Cute?) Sherman replied with a look on his face. He guessed everyone had their firsts, this probably had been one of the few times he had been called by such a word. It was more the timing and the reaction it had caused Celeste to go into.

“Oh, um oops… I really didn’t mean to say that outloud, I’m sorry just ignore me.”

"Ne bespokoytes' ob etom, kazhdyy stradayet ot skol'zheniya yazyka tak chasto." (Don't worry about it, everyone suffers from a slip of the tongue every so often.) Sherman continued, Russian flowing off his tongue in the nervousness that had arisen.

But, luckily, it seemed the conversation went on ahead with Celeste speaking about her parents having a harder time accepting that she wanted to join the military. Of course, the statement was still rolling around in his head for the time being - him trying to put it in perspective as a slip of the tongue.

“You’re not a stranger to Chance any more silly, you’re his friend. You’ve played with him and rubbed his belly… that moves you up to friend status, and I guarantee that when he sees you again he’ll remember that you’re his friend and expect more of the same.”

Sherman gave her a lopsided smile, "I will put that as an IOU, then."


Tag: (@celeste )
Notes: I'm sorry if Google translate butchered the Russian translations >.<

The look on Sherman’s face when she’d said the word cute had been funny, but Celeste could only guess what Sherman was saying as he was speaking Russian with no sign of an English translation. She nodded and smiled as he was talking and when he stopped she teased, “Now I’m sure you’re a great instructor… but that was kind of a crash course, and I have no earthly idea what you just said to me… but I think it sounded nice, so we’ll go with that.”

Chance lay on his back between the two, looking back and forth between the two of him he thunked his tail on the ground as he whined about the lack of attention he was receiving. He nosed Celeste’s hand as if to remind her that he was still there, she laughed and started rubbing him again. If Celeste had known Sherman better she would have teased him about continuing to speak Russian after she told him that she thought it was cute, but since it was their first meeting she decided to keep that one to herself.

As they continued talking she smiled, maybe today was going to be an even better day than she imagined. She’d managed to get to come to the park with Chance and make a new friend, who said he was going to teach her Russian… “You hear that boy… the next time we run into Sherman here he says he’s going to rub your belly again? You’d like that wouldn’t you?”

At the sight of Sherman’s lop sided smile she tilted her head to the side, “Speaking of IOU’s… when do the Russian lesson’s start?” Not sure if he had actually intended to teach her Russian or if he had only offered out of a sense of kindness, she decided to give him an out “unless of course you’re much too busy to bother with that, in which case I totally understand.”

Tag: Ssgt. Sherman Sullivan

“Now I’m sure you’re a great instructor… but that was kind of a crash course, and I have no earthly idea what you just said to me… but I think it sounded nice, so we’ll go with that.”

Rurik raised a brow before realising that he had spoken Russian again, scratching behind his ears as he grinned sheepishly, "Ah, sorry, prosti. I was simply saying how everyone suffers from a slipping of the tongue from occasion to occasion. I guess that was more than a slip of the tongue." He still was not comfortable in saying that he got nervous, and switched to his native tongue but with time, he hoped that sharing such fact would not be too awkward.

Sherman's eyes averted to Chance once he started to whine, his hand creeping back to rub his stomach when he was beaten to it. He continued to grin, watching as dog and handler interacted. A sacred bond, between man and their best friend.

Perhaps he would bring it up at his next session with Ashley.

“Speaking of IOU’s… when do the Russian lesson’s start? Unless of course you’re much too busy to bother with that, in which case I totally understand.”

His brow perked upwards in surprise, "No, no, never a bother with friends. I'm happy to start out with the basics now, if you'd be happy to?"


Tag:: @celeste
Notes:: Hope it's alright?