week 4

[refactor]

[ so eventually after they've probably stopped yelling at each other, maybe?? Jack will at least agree to go to whichever of their rooms Clover prefers, since he's not always a total dick. Just, you know. Usually. But he still has words, since he's not exactly any happier about this than Clover is. ]

Okay, so— Think we can both agree this is crap. So let's just get it out of the way, and you and me, kiddo? We can pretend this never, ever happened.

[ Because, seriously, this is weird for him. Being handcuffed to someone even under normal circumstances is pretty strange, but there are times where his age difference feels especially marked, and this is one of them. However, that's also awkward, so he's not going to bring it up.

Basically, this sucks, fuck you Alice. ]

Comments

[socloverit]

[congrats on earning those sweet "not as much of a jerk as you could have been" points, Jack; Clover's decided on her room pretty much entirely because she hasn't used it at all since she got here? she has been sleeping over with her brother from day one and this is terrible. this is terible?? how is she supposed to have Field sibling slumber parties all the time like this???? point being there is basically nothing in her room which makes it something vaguely resembling neutral territory but also: she's too clingy for this to be happening why is this happening

she's also spending this entire conversation aggressively fidgeting with the handcuff because she hates the feeling of having it on her wrist, the last time things were locked on her wrist they either had bomb detonators in them or were full of poison and she's suffering]

Okay, first of all, quit calling me "kiddo," my name's Clover. [HARRUMPH!!!] But yeah, agreed, once this is done we're never speaking of it again.

[refactor]

Fine, fine- Clover.

[ Also, congrats Clover, you're one of the few people to actually ask Jack to stop with the nicknames. Usually, he would also ignore this request, but considering the situation, he wants those sweet, sweet approval points. Can he cheat and play this like a Bioware game where you just say what you know the person wants to hear? He hopes so.

He takes a look around once they're there, realizing the sparse nature of the room, and he almost comments on that. Actually, he really wants to, since that could mean avoiding the more pressing topic for him, but he knows he can't. He makes a frustrated noise and drags his hand over his face, but he just ends up looking her way again. ]

So— So. Okay.

[ He motions generally towards his face. ]

Part of that? I'm gonna need to take this off. Despite everything I would prefer to the contrary, can't actually wear this twenty-four seven, because y'know, it sucks enough to do it once on Saturdays.

[ Jack is definitely rambling, but he's just trying to avoid this too. ]

So... I dunno. That too. Just keep it to yourself.

[socloverit]

[The system is probably cheatable, Clover's pretty easily appeased, and apparently cutting out the nickname nonsense is enough for now because she's mildly less vicious about her handcuff-fidgeting as Jack goes on—and then actually pauses in the middle of all that babbling, tilting her head.]

Uh. Yeah, okay. No problem. [Aaand she's right back to tugging at the cuff some more. This is just gonna be happening the entire rest of the week, apparently.] Another thing we're gonna pretend never happened, got it. [The good news is that Clover can keep a secret at least nine times out of ten and there's no reason to make this the one, this doesn't have to be a Thing.] So that's happening and we don't talk about it, any other ground rules we need to get out of the way?

[refactor]

[ Jack had immediately been on the defensive, so when Clover actually accepts what he's said pretty well, there's a pause, and then he relaxes. It's very clearly something he's guarded about, though the mask itself is a pretty good hint to that, all things considered. ]

Yeah, it's- It's appreciated. So, uh, thanks.

[ He doesn't give thanks often, so it comes out slightly awkward, but he ends up sighing and shrugging it off. ]

For me? No. That's pretty much the one I care about, unless you want a generic warning to ignore Rhys being a weird obsessive stalker. [ ha ha ] What about you?

[socloverit]

Yeah, no problem—is that what his deal is? I've been wondering what the deal is from, like, day one. [Okay, no, forget the mask nonsense and everything else, these are the juicy details that actually matter to her, she and Light have been gossiping about this for weeks and she needs to know who won the bet.] Wait, how worried do I have to be about the obsessive stalker thing? I'm definitely not ready to get, like, jealousy-stabbed over this. [She waves their handcuffed hands around for emphasis. Casually talking about stabbing is totally a reasonable thing to do in a murdergame environment.]

[refactor]

[ Jack laughs, a low, surprised sort of snort, but he nods. ]

I mean- Heh, yeah, more or less. It's hard to explain, because it sounds like a total lie when none of you have even heard of Hyperion, but where we're from? I'm a big deal. Huge deal. CEO of one of the biggest corporations in the galaxy-deal. So guys like Rhys? Surprisingly common. Hell, he's actually really tame for some of the obsessive weirdos that look up to me.

[ He starts to cross his arms reflexively, but, right, can't do that... ]

Those obsessive weirdos? Yeaaaah, they're the jealousy-stabbing kind. But Rhys?

[ ...

There is actually a fairly long pause here, which is not comforting in the slightest. Normally, Jack would say "he's harmless, don't worry about it," but he did just try and suffocate a dude because he disagreed with Jack. So instead: ]

...Okay, probably not. Ninety-five percent certain. And for the last five percent, don't worry about it, Clover. I'm not just gonna let Rhys stab you. That's the bonus here- [ He wags their hands for emphasis ] You're with me? I'll look out for you, at least. Just like Al wants, apparently.

[socloverit]

[oh good god she was mostly joking; that is like the opposite of comforting?? Clover just looks increasingly uncomfortable as this pause continues???? someone please save Clover, "probably" is not especially reassuring, the discomfort hasn't gone away, and she's just anxiously tugging at a curl of her hair with her free hand the entire time.]

Um. [in summation: five percent chance of attempted stabbings, the potential promise of the buddy system serving its purpose, the chillest a person could possibly be about having obsessive stalkers that somehow get worse than Rhys, and she probably lost the bet] Thanks?

[She'll believe it when she emerges on Friday un-stabbed.]

I'mmmm proooobably staying kinda armed anyway. Just in case. What if we just, like, didn't deal with or look at or interact with him at all all week. [that's not how stalkers work]

[refactor]

[ He nods to her thanks like it's no problem, even though it really should be??? There are some things Jack is way too chill about, and this is definitely one of them. He opens his mouth to address her concern, since it brings up a question that he's pretty interested in, but it turns to a laugh with her own concern. ]

I mean... could, but then he'd ask why I was avoiding him, get all offended, blah blah blah- [ why do they sound like they're dating? stop this ] Probably just easier to play it natural. I mean, can always just go talk to who he's cuffed to, uh... Minako? We get a switch apparently, so we could probably just hash it out and switch so that Rhys is my problem.

[ He shrugs, since he's not actually concerned about Rhys being a jealous yandere stalker, but considering his newfound friendship with Yuno, maybe he should be. Oh well. Instead of that, he just poses his own question: ]

Got no problem with you being armed, since I will be too- [ He taps the odd looking device on his opposite arm, which according to his profile card, is a gun. ] But I've also gotta ask: what with?

[socloverit]

[why do they sound like their dating? the more Jack talks the more Clover realizes that nobody really won the bet, either, this isn't a situation that has any winners at all. But she's nodding along with the switch idea even if Jack should probably be way more concerned about the prospect of being handcuffed to his stalker??? Yikes.]

Oh, uh, the injection gun. [The one on her profile card that's listed as being full of poison. Y'know, great self-defense choices.] It's in the other room sooo we'll have to go get that... [because weapons live in Light's room with most of the rest of her things] We're gonna count that as "my stuff" and make "don't touch my stuff" a ground rule while we're at it.

[refactor]

Oh... Right.

[ Jack remembers it now, but that does have his expression twisting up slightly. ]

Humor me here, but how, uh, potent of stuff are we talking here? I mean, don't want the guy to end up dead because of boundary issues.

[ He'll get to the rest, but that's pretty dang important. Rhys may be learning the yandere way but he probably should die because of it. Maybe. ]

[socloverit]

Uh.

[that's not an answer, Clover]

I mean, just having it should be enough to keep him or anyone from coming close enough to get injected anyway... Like, that's really all I want it for.

[still...not an answer......]

[refactor]

Soooo.

[ He looks at her point blank, but at least Jack is the one person on the ship that's probably pretty cool with this. Even slightly approving? But he's also going to call it like he sees it. ]

What I'm hearing is "could definitely kill a man," right?

[socloverit]

[LOOKING AWAY............]

Yyyyyyyyyeah.

[why does she even have that]

But, like, it'd be way stupid for me to try killing someone with it, it's seriously just there to be scary, and anyway if you're looking out for that five percent and anyone else ignoring the buddy system then it totally doesn't even matter.

[anything resembling approval is not the reaction she expects her poison gun to get and enough people are super suspicious of it already. she's trying so hard to make this not a thing like you can just casually brush aside a gun full of deadly poison]

[refactor]

[ He waves a hand dismissively, because if there's anyone that can brush off a gun full of deadly poison, it's definitely Handsome Jack. Probably because a gun full of deadly poison sounds like something Hyperion would make... ]

Woah, woah, no need to justify it, ki- Clover. Everyone's got their deadly weapon of choice. That one actually sounds pretty kickass.

[ Jack looks down to the gun on his arm, the holds it up for her to take a better look. ]

I mean, this? This is a gun I modded waaa^aaay back, so it's, uh, a little outdated by Hyperion standards, but, granted, kinda assuming you don't even know what that means, so. It's your standard shock pistol, but with some adjustments for the mounted design, but also for the strength of the shock it delivers. Everything from "stun" to "liquefy your organs."

[ He lowers his arm ]

So, point is? I'm not judging here, and I'm not worried about it unless I have to be. Hell, I'd actually love to take a look at it to see how it's designed, since it sounds like a market for Hyperion if I've ever heard one, but also get it if you'd rather not.

[socloverit]

[There's a tiny victorious smirk when he backtracks from the nickname nonsense that fades fast when she realizes she has gotten way more involved in this weapons thing than she meant to. The injection gun isn't even hers, she just kinda found it, why can't there be something in between "get rid of the horrifying poison gun forever" and "that's rad as hell and I want to know how it's made because there's totally a market for it," she doesn't ask for a lot.

She squints at the gun and pulls a face at the prospect of liquefied organs, because gross. Not that tubocurarine is an especially fun way to go or she has any place to judge because of it but still.]

Um. I'm glad this is weapons-judgement-free-zone and all, but that probably counts as touching my stuff, and I'm still making not doing that a rule.

[refactor]

[ He makes a dismissive pfft noise, but he nods regardless. ]

Yeah... Yeah, okay, if you insist.

[ Jack, don't sound so disappointed? Of course you're not allowed to touch the mega poison gun.

He starts to cross his arms, but again forgets since the gesture is so natural to him, and he ends up sighing and shaking his head. This is so irritating, and he hates Alice for doing this to him? Rude as fuck. ]

But, fine, got it, no touching. I'll say "same," but honestly there's not much I'll be that mad about. It's pretty much just the gun.

[socloverit]

[Definitely don't sound so disappointed?? She's already trying to figure out where the best places to keep the poison gun hidden are should she make the mistake of deciding to have it anywhere that isn't directly on her person.

She's tugging her hand back when he tries to cross his arms this time, though.] Stop that. [This is gonna just be constant for the next few days, huh.]

Oh, anyway, before I forget, I usually get dinner with my brother, so I guess that's just a party now [not even waiting for an answer to that she's just decided it's happening apparently] but Rhys definitely isn't invited, like, no matter how whiny he gets. By the way, I hope you're not an early bird because I am soooo far from a morning person. Actually, we're both gonna be way happier if no conversations happen until I have coffee. And, um... I feel like I'm forgetting something. It'll come to me.

[she's such a diva. it's going to be a rough few days]

[refactor]

[ Jack laughs, and he nods ]

Dinner? Yeah, yeah, that's fine. I'm not gonna say you can't eat with your brother just because we're cuffed together.

[ But, as for the rest of it? That gets Jack to pause. ]

Uhh, but. Definitely a morning person. Kind of used to waking up super early, but I can... try not to? I dunno. I'm used to it. But I'll at least take care of coffee if that's needed.