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

[epistemological]

Oh the eyeroll is mildly epic as he starts walking over.

"None of your business. Now do you want me to look for it or not?"

There might be a bit of zing on that, whether he meant to or not.

[mrballisticsdummy]

Jacobi flinches a little, but doesn't itherwise react.

"At this point? I don't really care. It's more curiosity and wanting to just...finish what I started."

[epistemological]

He notices the flinch... and he winces in return.

"Sorry about that. I didn't- it gets away from me on occasion."

[mrballisticsdummy]

He can't help but look to his hands. "Yeah, I get it. But it's fine. That doesn't scare me," he assures him, finally admitting to knowing a little more than he did before.

"The truth, I mean. It's a good way to...break things."

[epistemological]

There's a pause... and then a slow nod. And he looks to where Jacobi had looked. Glances over at him.

"Are you... you're not with the Lightless Flame, are you? Yourself, I mean?"

[mrballisticsdummy]

"Nope," he says, popping that last sound dramatically. "Not for lack of trying on their part. And I considered it. Briefly. For about three seconds. But uh...I don't like mindless idiots too much."

[epistemological]

"...oh thank Christ."

He probably shouldn't sound so relieved. But also he's not sure what he'd do, considering.

[mrballisticsdummy]

Jacobi laughs. A laugh that sounds more like a giggle. The kind of laugh he remembers from before. He wonders, just briefly, if that's because of Jon.

"They're the worst, right? But I work - alone. Which I actually find to be a bit more - I don't know - comfortable. "

[epistemological]

"But you are-"

An avatar seems like too much to say. And he's not sure he should finish the question, if he wants to know the answer. He doesn't think the other man is fully realized if so; he could try to find out, but he might be willing to just say so. Most of them have been.

[mrballisticsdummy]

"I know what I am," he says firmly, though Jon's right.

"But it doesn't mean I always - want to agree with others on how to go about it."

He doesn't particularly enjoy the feeling of fighting it as often as he does. But that's the price he pays. His own sacrifice. Burning away parts of himself to have a semblance of life for a while longer. It isn't sustainable, but it's his actual goddamn choice.

[epistemological]

"Well, I suppose that makes the two of us," he has to admit, and there's a deep sigh before he shakes his head and slings an arm to indicate Jacobi should come with him.

"I'm an idiot, but I assure you, you won't like the consequences should you try and burn anything where we're going."

[mrballisticsdummy]

"I'm not going to burn anything!" he protests, but follows after him. "If I was going to, I'd have already ignited all the shit in my backpack. But that's not meant for this place."

[epistemological]

"You do realize telling me that does not actually make me feel better about inviting you in," he says with a huff and a shake of his head as he leads the way up the stairs.

"Artifact storage is this way."

[mrballisticsdummy]

Jacobi snorts. "I don't believe in inefficiency," he tells him as he follows close behind. "Also, I kind of figured I'd get three steps in before you tried to stop me."

[epistemological]

"Yes, well, we've got quite enough enemies. Forgive me for attempting diplomacy. Try not to make me regret it."

[mrballisticsdummy]

"We?"

He shifts his backpack on his shoulders. "And I'm not going to make you regret anything. It's been - strange to have an actual decent conversation for the first time in months? Years. Definitely months."

[epistemological]

That makes him pause on the steps.

"...months? Was that- because you were in, uh, space?"

He actually looks a little concerned.

[mrballisticsdummy]

"With the worst people you've ever met? Yeah. Exactly. People I had come to - essentially police. They killed one of mine and ensured the death of the other. And then I had to pretend to be nice to them on the way home so that they didn't all gang up on me and kill me, too. Fortunately, they needed me."

He stops, looking up to him. "Are you surprised?"

[epistemological]

He takes that in, all of that, and it's... he can't help that there's a moment where he ignores Jacobi's question. Instead, he just shakes his head and seeks out the other man's eyes.

"I'm... sorry. For your loss. I- It's... very difficult to try and function in such an environment."

HE knows the man is an avatar and there's no telling what he might have been up to but the way he cares about the others, that he's angry about them: that tells him enough.

[mrballisticsdummy]

He doesn't meet his eyes, but it doesn't matter, which he's starting to realize. "Shut up. Don't be sorry for it. It happened and it's over and there's no going back. So keep walking."

It's very much an instinctive sort of reaction. To shut down the conversation, to shut down the other person. It's easy to fall back on that. It feels good when this topic feels terrible.

[epistemological]

There's a long moment as he looks at Daniel, as he considers that response. He's heard similar from Basira, but given that this man isn't-

Well, isn't Basira. Which is why he holds his gaze for a moment.

"That... won't work. I hope you realize that."

But he'll turn then and nod and now he's quiet as he leads the way to artifact storage.

[mrballisticsdummy]

Again, he doesn't meet his eyes but does follow.

"You're walking away and we're not talking about it anymore? So - I'd say it worked very well."

[epistemological]

"I wasn't talking about for me. I meant for you." Because he knows what losing people is. He just lost one, and another is...

Well, they'd never been terribly close with Daisy but her loss is still an ache.

[mrballisticsdummy]

"Yeah, I'm working on it," he says with a roll of his eyes. "You don't need to worry about me."

[epistemological]

"I never-" and he just sighs and makes an irritated noise before noting, "Fine, as you like."

And he'll lead the way the rest of the way up the stairs and down the hall towards the first of the artifact storage rooms.

"If you could please remain in the hallway?"