TMA!Jacobi and Jon

[mrballisticsdummy]

"Are you sure this is the place?" he asks the driver, who was already speeding off, leaving Jacobi in front of the old building.

"Thanks for your help!" he calls out with false cheer, rolling his eyes before trudging his way up to what he had been told was the Magnus Institute. He doesn't even flinch at the screech of tires that comes from blocks behind him. He doesn't have to see the car erupt into flames as a very confused driver crawls out and phones for help. That's chaos for someone else.

Instead, he takes the steps up, backpack on his shoulder. He had flown all the way out here, so it's not as if he's going to be missing any leads. Besides. He has an appointment.

The closer to the door he gets, the more uncomfortable he feels about this. It's like a whisper of wind against his skin, a suggestion of something dangerous, but Jacobi's never let something like that bother him. He walks through, hands in his pockets.

Comments

[mrballisticsdummy]

"Well, it doesn't matter. They're both dead," he says automatically as the grief and the pain well up in him again. Choking him.

[epistemological]

He knows he's taking his life into his hand. But he thinks it might be worth it.

"Do you really think so?"

[mrballisticsdummy]

He sucks in a stuttering of a breath, hardly recognizing at first what had happened. But no words come at first. First there's a tear that falls, one that seems to evaporate into nothing before he even has a chance to brush it away.

"No. It's the only goddamn thing that matters, but I spent the entire trip home obsessing about it. Obsessing about them. There isn't anything in the world I want more than to have that connection, and the only two people I had it with are gone."

[epistemological]

He just... nods.

"I'm sorry. For... you. For them. I'm sorry for all of it."

[mrballisticsdummy]

He puts the paperclip on top of the desk and stands up, walking out of the office. He doesn't leave the building yet, but he doesn't want to be in that space any longer. He's dying to just stop thinking, stop talking about it, and Jon is apparently determined to do the opposite.

[epistemological]

Jon won't follow him. He'll just be down here for when Jacobi comes back.

[mrballisticsdummy]

He walks but doesn't snoop, hands in his pockets as he paces the hallways and planning every way that a building like this would fall.

And when he comes back, he sits in the chair again. "Did you get the information you wanted?" he asks bitterly.

[epistemological]

"I didn't want it," he says quietly, "but you needed to hear it. You needed to hear the truth."

[mrballisticsdummy]

He points at him. "You don't get to decide what I need to hear and what I don't."

[epistemological]

He looks back.

"In this one case, I'm sorry, but I had to insist."

[mrballisticsdummy]

"Well fuck you," he says, more defeated than heated. He sits back in the chair. "You can't help but meddle. I get it."

[epistemological]

"Duly noted," is his comment to that and he'll reach over and pull open a drawer before pulling out a glass of brandy and pouring out two glasses. "I can offer this, at least."

[mrballisticsdummy]

"Does that actually do anything for you?" he wonders, sitting forward. "I haven't had a drink since I got back."

[epistemological]

He shakes his head.

'At this point, absolutely nothing. But there's a certain psychological comfort to it."

[mrballisticsdummy]

"Well, then let's try it." He moves the chair closer to the desk so he can rest his elbows on it.

[epistemological]

At that point, he will pour out for them. More for Jacobi than himself.

And push over the glass.

[mrballisticsdummy]

And he'll take it, raising it up to him. "Cheers, I guess." It's the farthest thing from it, but it doesn't matter.

[epistemological]

He'll join him in the toast as they drink.

It doesn't do anything for him but hopefully it will for Daniel.

[mrballisticsdummy]

One drink. Ertainly doesn't, but it's been so long that, like Jon, there's something comforting in it.

"Is this what you do down here all day?"

[epistemological]

He shakes his head.

"No, mostly I research. Especially having to do with that."

And he'll gesture off to one side to where there is, of all things, a coffin chained up with a lock on it.

[mrballisticsdummy]

"The hell is that?" he mutters, bringing one leg up in the chair so he can gawk at it properly.

"Or is that what you're trying to figure out? Next question. Why the fuck do you have it in your office?"

[epistemological]

"Because it was delivered to me," he says with a soft huff, "and within it is a... friend of mine. I've been trying to figure out how to get her out of there. And how not to end up with her in there."

[mrballisticsdummy]

He takes another drink as Jon speaks, but he can't help a little shiver at the implications in that.

And then he finds himself asking before really thinking - "Can I help?"

[epistemological]

He blinks... but he realizes he's not surprised. Not really.

"Probably."

He tips his head towards the coffin.

"It leads into the Buried. The very heart of it. I've a couple of statements regarding it, but I haven't figured out how to extract anyone from it. Here, if you want to read."

[mrballisticsdummy]

"And you've got a friend trapped in there?" He actually leans forward a little. "That sucks."

He pauses a little, realizes that's probably too callous, and glances to Jon. "Sorry." He takes it from him and reads through, setting the glass down on the desk.