Joe Russo (![[info]](https://www.insanejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} notalongtime) wrote in ![[info]](https://www.insanejournal.com/img/community.gif){kind=small} heureuxlake, |
Joe let the rant wash over him, eyes fixed on the distance, but when she pointed at Ram he flinched. Then when Astrid apologized he sighed deeply, shoulders sagging from his usual military posture.
"Don't be." Joe looked down at the ground, trying to find some kind of response that might explain his personal battlefield. "Look, I try, okay?" He touched his tattoo. "Memento mori. I carry that with me every day, something I strive but... But I've been on the frontlines over and over again. I've seen humans drive themselves to war time after time. So even if I live the best version of my life there's a part of me that knows there will be another war, another man with my face to fight in it."
His hand gripped the back of his neck for comfort. "I want to grow old. These memories, they weigh you down. Fate's never been kind to me and it's hard to believe it could change."