Bucky & Jack
"Yeah, I felt a little better with the ax, but when you're used to packing heat that could--literally--cook whatever you're shooting at, kinda pales in comparison." He hated admitting he missed the armory, but it had been just as wondrous as it was deadly. And for all the jokes Suzie and Gwen had both thrown around about him 'overcompensating', they really had made him feel a bit less vulnerable. Not for himself, not after Satellite Five, but for those under his protection. He was handy with a spear, sure enough, but it didn't feel like enough to take down the things his nightmares were full of. "Guess that's one more thing we've just gotta hope'll get better with time."
Jack nodded as Bucky talked about caring for the animals, "Can't quite say I relate, closest I got was taking care of the hothouse back home after…after the guy who'd been in charge of it before left, but--yeah. I don't...regret what I was doing back home, most the time. Okay, fifty percent of the time," he smile was a little bitter, as he thought about what Torchwood had made him do, the innocents given for the entire world. "It's been good to be building something that isn't centered around a war, even if I did believe in all of 'em."
The bitter taste of those memories went away quickly enough, and he grinned widely. "I'd cross my heart and all that, but even if something did strike me dead I'd be back soon enough. I think. Haven't tested it here, don't really want to." It was almost bizarre, realizing he hadn't faced that darkness in nearly three months. "Her name's Myfanwy, and she likes dark chocolate. She saved some folks a few times things got into our base. Like to think that means she wouldn't consider us dinner even if we were doused in her special sauce," He cleared his throat a little. "That was my job. Guarding the Rift, making sure whatever came through didn't hurt humanity. You wouldn't expect aliens to be so keen on causing havoc in Wales, but hoo boy," he shook his head, "There's a reason I consider construction a break."
He felt the smallest ache in his chest at the mention of God. "Yeah, I….went through some stuff as a boy, made it pretty difficult to believe any all-powerful thing was hanging around, at least a benevolent one. And the stuff I saw on Earth didn't help that." He hesitated for a moment, knowing probably a good part of Bucky's lack of belief wasn't just from the Wars that would have surrounded his chunk of time. "Had a couple lovers--not just the men, though them more than the women--who….would get out their rosaries, when we were done and they thought I was asleep. I can't blame anyone for whatever gets 'em through the day, but I can't say I was a huge fan of a god who was trying to make people feel that bad about something everyone had been enjoying pretty thoroughly an hour before." Maybe that was why he still had some hesitation in accepting Arva's true divinity, at least in part. Every other 'god' humanity had brought into being had, in some fashion, tried to make them change who they were. He couldn't think of any belief system he'd come across that had told people so purely that who they were, as long as it wasn't hurting another being, was acceptable. He wasn't unhappy about that, far from it, but it was still hard for him to believe there wasn't going to be a catch somewhere along the line. But if it was helping people like Bucky, even a little, he'd probably be willing to take the price.