week 12 - fffffriday? i guess? whenever they have to decide the cradle junk

[refactor]

[ After their conversation, Jack had left Elizabeth to go find Rhys. It was unsurprising, since whatever bond Jack and Rhys had, it was... complicated, to say the least. Jack going to hunt him down earlier would have perhaps been worrying, and maybe it still was. Even so. As the weeks had gone on since Rhys's death, there had definitely been a fading resentment for Rhys, so Elizabeth could be fairly certain that Jack wouldn't still be holding that rage.

Of course, when she approaches Jack's little cabin, she'd be free to have doubts about that, because there is definitely yelling.

But weirdly, it's melodic yelling? Jack is truly belting out some kind of song, but it's not really singing so much as yelling.

The door is at least unlocked, so she can let herself in, but. It's definitely a super fucking stupid sight, because Jack is definitely yell-singing the chorus at Rhys. He gets to "size of your mainframe" before jabbing a finger at Rhys and moving onto another thought: ]

Nonono, fuck you, I stand by this, you're a total ass for making that your encr—

[ Though he seems to notice Elizabeth at this point, so he abruptly stops and looks at her. ]

Oh, hey, Liz. Found him.

[ this is Fine ]

Comments

[baptizer]

[ Oh, yes, definitely doubts. As she hears the yelling and is instantly kicking herself - why didn't she accompany Jack when he found Rhys? Why did she let an emotionally fragile man see another emotionally fragile man?

She rushes but stops at his door - not daring to open it. It's a weird song, thing...? Nothing she hard heard of, but instead of bursting through with not my daughter, you bitch or anything equally problematic, Liz is careful. A knock on the door was too polite, so she opens the door slowly and -

Okay. ]

Hi.

[ Honestly, even if they had their Moments, Liz is truthfully concerned with how Rhys will be around Jack. ]

En...joying yourself?

[jackhole]

[ the last time elizabeth saw rhys, he didn't look so good. worn features, tired eyes, no light to him at all. he was abandoned in more ways than one and when he slipped away after fiona's trial, it was with a sad smile and a polite "excuse me" before he just. disappeared.

now, rhys looks different. he's a bit flushed, bit annoyed, but is already showing more life to him than he has in weeks -- the irony in this being that he's dead. he obviously just finished showering too because of MUD RELATED REASONS GOD DAMNIT JACK so, his hair is ungelled and loose and he's in his boxers and uh, jack's sweater. yeah.

as elizabeth walks in, she can catch rhys making strangling motions at jack in return and mid-yell himself. ]

But no one else would know what to look for! Except you, apparently! Asshole.

[ because now the stupid song is stuck in his head. he freezes after when he sees elizabeth, taking a moment to just stare dumbly before dropping his hands to his hips and frowning at the both of them. ]

Enjoying the thought of murdering Jack if he keeps singing at me, yeah. What's up?

[ said in the tone of a man who doesn't realize the hell he just gave elizabeth this last week, honestly. ]

[refactor]

[ Jack looks like he's considering tossing Rhys a rude gesture, but. Elizabeth is here now, so he refrains. He still scoffs with irritation, but it's mild and petty instead of anything to be concerned about. ]

Oh, ha ha hah. [ This is an incredibly dry, sarcastic laugh. ] Look, I'm not the one that used that goddamn song as encryption, so now you have to suffer like I suffered. I had to listen to that for ages. From a Claptrap. That is Hell.

[ He has to get that petty jab in and also just hate on Claptraps... Jack sighs, then looks back to Elizabeth as his expression relaxes. ]

Anyways, not that he made it easy, but told you I'd find him. Safe and sound.

[baptizer]

[ Now that there definitely wasn't any danger, her feet bring her closer. They're both at each others throats and she can't understand why - but who was she to judge? People were definitely questioning her relationship with Jack as well.

However, Elizabeth advances a bit quickly and -

crack!

Her hand rips right across his cheeks as she ignores stupid songs and instead - ]

I looked everywhere for you, you insufferable asshole!

[ Elizabeth mad. ]

The forest, the beach, I even - I even dove underwater to find you and -

[ He can hear the crack in her voice, how it pains her but -

She flings herself onto him, clawing at his back with a tight, harsh embrace. She feels like she let him down in some weird way, but seeing him here, makes her so angry and sad. It's bittersweet that only Jack could do this - to bring him back here.

Whether he's yelling or reacting, she refuses to break her grip, she hugs tightly onto him, cradling at the back of his neck and just - yeah.

Women can get emotional too, duh. ]

Don't do that again. Please.

[ Her eyes lift to look at Jack. ]

Don't let him do anything stupid again.

[jackhole]

[ oh my god, you just slapped him??? there's a yelp as rhys stumbles back, lifting his hand to his cheek and looking at elizabeth in shock. she just slapped him. when was the last time he was slapped? fiona, probably, which just makes him feel awful and he barely pays attention to her swearing at him. ]

You... slapped me? What.

[ but then he clues into the rest of what she's saying and he's about to respond to that too when suddenly he has his arms full of elizabeth. he freezes, arms held awkwardly at his sides before slowly going around her to hug her back. right, this is... something. with her hand on his neck, it pulls him down a little for his chin to rest on her head and he glances at jack in a bit of a panic. ]

Well, that's uhm -- that's kind of stupid. Going underwater? My arm would like, short-circuit.

[ which is the stupidest thing to say possible but he DOESN'T KNOW WHAT ELSE TO DO HERE. instead he coughs awkwardly and gives her a light squeeze because damn, her grip is tight. what the fuck. ]

... Hey. Jack doesn't control what I do and don't do. He's like, useless.

[refactor]

[ Rhys isn't the only one that's surprised, since Jack had taken a step back to allow Elizabeth the room to give what he expected would be a hug. When Rhys gets a smack first, Jack's eyebrows shoot up, but it's predictably followed by snickering. He can't help it. There's something about Rhys getting hurt that's just inherently funny to him.

(Which should be more than slightly worrying, all things considered, but maybe that just makes it a good thing that Jack keeps that part to himself.)

Rhys looks to him for direction, and as smoothly as if this had always been the way things were between them, Jack nods to encourage Rhys to return the gesture. He's still smiling and amused by this turn of events, though when Elizabeth looks at him, he at least stops with the childish snickering. He lifts one of his hands lightly from where it rests on his crossed arms. ]

Yeah, she doesn't know that, dumdum.

[ He has to defend Elizabeth first, okay... Because he just ends up making a dismissive noise, a loud pfft as he rolls his eyes. ]

I mean, I'm not a miracle worker, Liz. This guy, not doing anything stupid? [ translation: screw you rhys he's not useless ] But, yeah, I'll give my best effort with a hopeless cause here.

[baptizer]

[ Elizabeth's best choice is to clearly just go hang out with girls because boys are fucking stressful? Her fingers knead at his back, unable to really show that she was so happy he was alright. She recalls so much of the brokenness in his eyes and wants to avoid seeing that again.

..It's just sad that the man who killed him was the one who did that.

She won't comment on that.

Finally, she pulls back, looking up to him with an honest expression. ]

I'll never forgive you for that, I thought - I thought you were gone completely. Don't be ignorant again.

[ She admits, but she'll just go ahead and give the guy his space. Stepping back a bit, she awkwardly crosses her arms over her chest and rubs at the side of her neck, feeling as if she was just as impulsive as some of her company lately. ]

Sorry - I ... ugh, you make me so mad sometimes.

[ But, she glances to Jack. ]

I should have been here sooner but, um... -

[ Fighting dragons, kidnapping princesses, and giving up her own Paris was kinda emotional... :( ]

I was held up.

[jackhole]

[ he's still not sure how to handle this hug. he indulges it, lets elizabeth grasp at him as much as she wants to but, god, this is incredibly weird. when she finally breaks the hold, looks at him with such sincerity -- he feels guilty. he... made her worry, didn't he? that wasn't what he wanted to do. ]

Can't... really leave, Liz. But thanks? I guess?

[ which is still not the best response to give but he gives it, running fingers through his hair and the other rests on his hip. he's caught here, feeling a twist of guilt over what he's done to elizabeth and a strange sensation of just... not wanting to be bothered with this. his bitterness is still there but not as strong anymore. ]

Yeah? By all your freggin' friends, right?

[ okay, no. the bitterness is still there. god, he hates everyone so much. ]

[refactor]

[ Jack watches the exchange patiently, since unlike SOME PEOPLE he doesn't find this weird or in need of a yandere reaction at all. When Elizabeth steps back and speaks about being held up, Jack looks interested, but it's only briefly before Rhys speaks. He rolls his eyes, but then sets a hand on Rhys's shoulder as if that would stop garbage from spilling out of his mouth. It will not. ]

Anything in particular, or just, y'know?

[ He nods towards Rhys, which is meant to be a gesture to imply what Rhys had said as an option, but. Slightly less dickishly. ]

[baptizer]

You don't know that. I didn't know I could get another body and die in front of people again, but here I am.

[ Rhys stop being weird!! Elizabeth was super bitter he threw a tantrum in the woods while probably naked and on drugs. Let's be real. She lowers her gaze a bit, rolling her shoulder a bit. ]

Well... it's hard to explain? The letters in your inbox. We were told about a way to break the communication barrier between us and the living. Our personal cradles... they had to be refused. People are starting them - some haven't.

[ She looks to them with a forced smile. ]

It's scary, you know? I didn't - ah... I wasn't - ...I didn't know it was an illusion. You have to sacrifice your own personal heaven... [ Particularly glancing up to Rhys. He knows her happiest place. ] If we want to make sure the ship can get all the help it needs, you have to overcome this. I - ah... I gave up Paris. Dancing in Paris and freedom.

[ She waves it off, knowing now it wasn't real. It never will be real. ]

So yes, my friends helped me, Rhys. I want to help you two as well.

[jackhole]

[ don't make him fight, liz!! she says that and he immediately wants to bite back but he. is going to have self-control here because he DID NOTHING WRONG.

but as she keeps talking, he feels weirder and weirder because all his responses are negative. he doesn't care. it's too much, he just wants to be left alone still, he doesn't understand. so, instead he focuses on jack's hand on his shoulder and his arms cross over his chest as he frowns, staring at the floor. he can't help the furrow of his eyebrows and spike of bitterness when elizabeth reaffirms that yes, her friends helped her.

haha, god. he's so alone. ]

... You should probably help Jack. You guys have more people to contact than I do.

[ what would his personal heaven be anyway? he honestly couldn't answer that if asked. he used to think it'd involve fiona, but now... hah. ]

[refactor]

Oh, yeah. That.

[ Jack doesn't sound impressed, and in fact, he just crosses his arms and scoffs dismissively. There's a glance to Rhys briefly as he dismisses the idea too, but his reasoning is very different from Jack's, and that's clear enough. He doesn't press on Rhys's reluctance here, since Jack simply imagines that Rhys probably couldn't break out of it anyways. Because, you know. He's an asshole like that. Thanks, Jack. ]

You have to go in them? Because I can tell you right now, kiddo, I've got no interest in some bullshit fake heaven. I'll destroy it, no questions asked.

[ It's one of those odd moments where those more admirable parts of Jack shines through, because truly, he doesn't seem to have any doubts at all in this. Even so, Elizabeth has heard why, in part. Jack simply doesn't believe that a world where he hadn't strove for his happiness was worth it in the first place.

Though, after a pause, he does add: ]

...Also, I mean, it'd be pretty weird. I can take a pretty damn good guess at what mine would be like, and, uh. Yeah. Weird. Dooooon't want anyone seeing personal shit like that.

iiii didnt get a notif for this laughs my bad

[baptizer]

If we want to communicate with the living without filters, we have to. Unless you're content with being limited... I understand, I didn't want to do it either.

[ Despite how much she honestly wished she could have stayed. It's a scary thought. ]

Er.. I won't push the subject but I'm willing to just help you both and get it over with. It's much like getting a shot - you just deal with the needle prick and move on.

[ Weird shit is obvious but she's looking to Rhys with a concerned look. ]

You have us? Jack and I could help you, if you want to but -

... [ She trails off, knowing that this is a difficult choice. It's hard, definitely, and she's still a little shaken up. ] It all depends on if it's worth it, I guess.