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[toabsolution]

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[dog_eat_dog]

Well, that’s kind of him. Who doesn’t love blowing things up?

[toabsolution]

No one!

[He picks up the wine in the little cup and takes a drink of it.]

Mm, and I figured out how to take the damn thing off.

[dog_eat_dog]

That must have been a pain.

[She glances at it.]

What else does it do other than blow things up?

[toabsolution]

Nothin' I can figure. [He shrugs.]

Didn't even know what it was when I took it. It was more of an accident. Had me on that table, cuttin' me open, and I got my hand free and it locked on. Seemed to scare 'em, so I just ran. Didn't know what it was until later.

[He takes another drink.]

Ain't much of a story.

[dog_eat_dog]

[Alien abductions. It's an uncomfortable thing to think about, and she feels tempted to dance right by the threat of the non-human, the other, but she sits with that and shrugs it off, smiling.]

It's the biggest story you have.

[toabsolution]

[He grins.]

Stole a bunch of gold from a cattle rancher once. Sorta remember that.

[dog_eat_dog]

Yeah? How much did you get away with?

[toabsolution]

Didn't count it!

[That grin turns to a laugh.]

But it was heavy. And that's the only story I got. Your turn.

[dog_eat_dog]

[She chuckles.]

You know I'm in here for smuggling, yeah?

[At least in part, anyway.]

[toabsolution]

[He shrugs, giving her a playful smile.]

Is that all?

Audio, post Jake's death via Quill

[dog_eat_dog]

[She's almost always the one to come crawling back after a dispute, content to pretend nothing happened until it's brought up. She doesn't always like it, but it's easy. It is, regretfully, a very well-practiced song and dance. She figures Jake will figure out the steps in time.

Friendly, to a point:]

Dinner tonight, maybe?

[toabsolution]

[As good as it is to hear her voice, he knows this won't end well. Every breath is still a struggle. He tries not to show it, but he doesn't have the focus for texting, and he figures that will tip her off just as much.]

Not tonight.

Gotta...sleep this off.

[dog_eat_dog]

[Well, that's unexpected. Tess finds herself frowning. Ten months and she hasn't gotten even a cold –– she doesn't suppose anyone else would, either. He doesn't sound drunk off his ass, either.

But Norton did post to the network about a whole lot of death.]

... Did you get fucked up by that blonde woman?

[toabsolution]

[Oh boy.]

Wasn't a human woman.

She took my gun, my knife, and my goddamn boots. Woke up and got Misty.

[dog_eat_dog]

Christ, Jake.

[She's not really annoyed at him, but it might sound that way. (And maybe she is, at least a little. His boots? Really? What kind of freak––)

She's picking up her bag to head over anywhere, wherever that may be.]

Is she still there? Are you at her place?

[toabsolution]

I'm at mine. She's not here at the moment.

You comin' over? Ain't good company.

[He is not going to try very hard to keep her away, but he has to put in some effort.]

[dog_eat_dog]

Yeah, I'm coming over. Death tolling is a pain, you'll be lucky if you can sit up, let alone make yourself something to eat.

[Arthur sat with her through a good chunk of her own death toll. Who's going to sit with Jake, if Misty's already gone?]

I'll be there in a minute.

[toabsolution]

[He doesn't know if or when Misty's coming back, but he does know that he wants the company. The past few hours...days?...have been a blur.]

Can't eat anythin', Tess.

But I'll see you. Door's unlocked. [Mostly because he doesn't want to get up to open the door every time.]

[dog_eat_dog]

Don't be stupid. You're going to feel like shit longer if you don't eat something.

[She's there shortly anyway, and she lets herself in without knocking. She drops her backpack at the foot of the bed, and it hits the ground with a hard clunk as a can of soup bumps up against her gun. Tess sighs and sinks down to sit on the edge of his bed, at his hip.]

Why didn't you just shoot her?

[toabsolution]

[He's in bed, looking more than a little ragged under a quilt, and turns towards her when she enters.

He does reach out to put a hand on hers.]

Tried to. She was fuckin' fast. And strong. Couldn't get past her hands.

[dog_eat_dog]

[Fair. Tess winds her fingers around his and adjusts his quilt with her free hand. She's more businesslike about it than tender, but that's just how it is.]

Her hands?

[toabsolution]

[He doesn't even notice it. It's just comforting to have her hand.]

She was fast. She kept stoppin' me from gettin' to it.

Who else?

[dog_eat_dog]

Yunlan, Norton. Sounded like there were more but I haven't heard who else yet.

[toabsolution]

[He takes a breath, slowly trying to keep the pain from overwhelming.]

Goddamn her.

[And he can't do a damn thing about it. He rests his head on his pillow instead.]

You ever been through this?

[dog_eat_dog]

[She nods.]

I was here about a month when everything on the barge flipped. Someone killed me. I don't know who.

[And if she ever finds out, she'll destroy that person.]

Arthur took good care of me, though. It passed.