pummelgranite | [MoM][IC Contact]

Hey.

[ Jaime sits next to Laura and just looks at her for a moment, gaze more studious, more concentrated than it usually is. It's fine. She's fine, here and whole and not disintegrating into nothing - a little disaffected in the way she often is, but she's normal.

He breathes out slowly. It doesn't fix the rest of the crap, but he feels better already. ]

Been a heck of a couple weeks, huh? You been doing okay?

[ She does look tired, maybe a bit hung over. When her gaze meets his it's also inspecting, but more confirming what she's already suspected: the bug needs a break.]

Pretty shite, yeah. You too huh?

Edited 2018-05-14 20:05 (UTC)

It's been better.

[ It's the longest few months he's had in recent memory. It probably says something about them both that it happens and they're both... maybe they're not fine, but they're doing okay. Jaime's not having meltdowns and going out and doing a bunch of dumb crap or not showing up for work or not handing in his essays or anything. They can be put through the wringer and come out the other side perfectly functional.

It's just tiring. And this conversation may be even more tiring, but he wants to know - and she should know too, in case it comes up in some other way. ]

Did you know you had a double running around when that whole... thing went down?

Uhm, I think there were a couple actually. Did you . . . uh . . .

[ She lets the question hang. ]

Yeah. I ran into one. It wasn't a problem or anything, I just, um... I kept her company, that's all.

[ He leans back into the couch with a slow sigh, exhaled through his teeth. ]

She was from the dream. You know the one.

Oh.

[ There's a small moment of surprise, but less than he might think. Mostly she's amazed the (somewhat literally) damned thing kept coming back.

There's a huff. ]

Sorry.

Nothing you hafta apologize for, even if she was causing trouble. Which she wasn't for the record. She... kind of recognized me, so I just took her somewhere peaceful where she could. [ He shrugs with one shoulder. ] You know.

[ They all disappeared, in the end. ]

I just wasn't expecting to see her again.

Yeah, neither was I.

[ It hadn't been all that great for her grounding in reality. How must it have been for Jaime, who's brain had been fucked with even further? ]

How're you and Khaji?

Yeah, well. I think maybe this was the last of her.

[ One last peaceful moment before she's gone forever - that seems about right. ]

We didn't get hit too bad by all the doubles, but... we've been better. [ He sighs, slumping a little further into the couch. He'd just wanted to see Laura, but if anyone gets how worked up Khaji's gotten, it's probably her. ] Someone from home showed up. Khaji's... not too thrilled.

[ He's angry, all the time. It's giving him a headache. He had dealt with this before, but that was when it hadn't been Khaji, just whatever bloodthirsty monster took his place when he got rebooted. This is different - it's rage, yes, but tempered with the righteousness of the one who fell victim to the Negotiator and his kind, anger that it's him who's here and not the people Khaji would rather see, the injustice of him of all people getting a second chance when so many of their allies have fallen.

If it wasn't such a problem, Jaime would be proud of him for the complexity of his emotions. Instead, he's just tired. ]

[ Her attention sharpens. It must be series if Jaime is articulating negative feeling like some kind of normie. ]

Your home or his?

His. Mine, later on. And he's just - angry, all the time.

[ The Negotiator and his people are the ones who chose to create Khaji, to control them for their own purposes, to twist their free will to fit what they wanted without any regard for their own free will - or the safety of their families.

There's an easy way to describe him. ]

He's our Ananke.

[ She pauses a long moment. Her instinct is what it always is when an enemy of a friend shows up- offer to rip the offender into pieces. But she knows Jaime is unlikely to appreciate the offer, and is far more capable of follow-through that she could be either. Instead she just lets a few beats of heavy silence pass. ]

Yikes. Fuck that.

Edited 2018-05-25 20:39 (UTC)

Yeahhh, that's how we feel about it too. [ Jaime rubs his face. ] We have, like, a truce going on. Not that I think you'd tell anyone about this even without me saying anything, but... do me a favour and don't tell anyone. I might ask you to take Khaji out sometime, though, get some of that - [ he flaps one hand, making a buzzing sound with his lips, which is more or less what Khaji's felt like all day long ] - out of him.

A truce. [ She sounds incredulous, but only slightly. Riptide's truce with Getaway had gone to shit. She'd never managed a true truce with Woden anyway. But mmmmaaaybe Jaime knew what he was talking about? But more importantly... ]

Wait, take him out? I thought he was like your spine or something.

[ Jaime just shrugs. He's honestly a little incredulous about the whole thing too but there's nothing he can do but hope that the Negotiator keeps up his side of the deal. ]

Yeah, he's in my spine. Back when we went out last time, it was, like, 80% me, 20% him? But I can give him 100% of the control if I want to. Or he can take it, if he wants to. I'd still be in there, I'd just be... chilling?

[ She sort of... perks up??? at the prospect of getting to hang with Full Khaji???? ]

Oh, sure. We can go to Carlsbad and get his arse kicked.

Hey, you two can do whatever so long as you don't get into too much trouble. This is still my body.

[ That much, Khaji can agree to. He may be quarrelsome for the sake of it, but he knows Jaime well enough to know that it's no joking matter - and that Jaime willingly handing over control is the greatest trust he could put in someone. ]

What's Carlsbad again?

Big cave under big desert. I think it's in New Mexico, or Ohio or something.

Oh! Okay, cool. That sounds like the perfect place for him to, um, blow off some steam. Responsibly.

[ He's talking to Khaji, not her. Maybe Khaji has a good reason for his feelings, but Jaime's getting tired. ]

You let me know when you've got some spare time. For this? I'd make time.

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