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[toabsolution]

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[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.

[toabsolution]

[Hopefully it's a warden. Because suddenly Jake wants to do the same thing.

He squeezes her hand.]

Arthur's a good man. Glad you got him.

You said you had somethin' to eat?

[dog_eat_dog]

Me too.

[ Even if he has unknowingly been a huge cockblock lately. ]

Yeah. I brought soup. Hungry after all, huh?

[toabsolution]

No, but I'll eat it.

[He also doesn't want to talk about Arthur anymore.

He gestures to the stove.]

Should have wood ready. Matches in the drawer.

[dog_eat_dog]

[Old-fashioned. She's never used an old wood stove, but she's lit many fires and it seems straightforward enough, so she's not even going to bother asking how.

Tess gives his hand a squeeze and pulls away.]

I don't go anywhere without a lighter, anyway.

[toabsolution]

With the shit you come from?

Surprised you don't always carry that bag.

[He turns so he can watch her, glad that she came.]

[dog_eat_dog]

[She shrugs, crouching down by the wood stove to get it going.]

Depends on how likely I think it is that I'll need it.

[Or: how safe she feels at any given time. Since the thing with Edward, that's not very, but she puts on a decent show otherwise for Jake.]

[toabsolution]

You always have it ready.

[It's not really a question.]

What else you got in it?

[dog_eat_dog]

[She rattles them off like nothing:]

My gun, ammo, a lighter, some medical supplies, a flashlight, duct tape, a water bottle, a hunting knife, a bit of alcohol and some rags. Some food, too, if I have something that'll keep, but it's harder to manage that here.

[toabsolution]

[It's a good list. Solid.

He pushes himself up slowly to lean back against the wall.]

Got some tinned beans around here somewhere. Don't normally touch 'em since we got enough elsewhere. If you ever want it.

[Because he might not get food insecurity, but he understands that food is difficult to come by where she's from. She's said so herself.]

[dog_eat_dog]

[Most girls probably don't feel their heart skip a beat over a couple tins of beans, but Tess is, regretfully, not like most girls. She glances at him over her shoulder, looking pretty pleased, but she keeps herself grounded. She tells him:]

You gotta have your own rations, Jake, you never know when this place is going to go to hell.

[toabsolution]

[He sucks in a breath, grinning.]

Didn't tell you where the canned fruit was, did I? Got a bit of flour and shit left if I need to make somethin'.

[dog_eat_dog]

And you're just going to live off what, pie filling?

[She puts the pot on the stove and moves around his place, looking for dishes. She'd probably just eat it right out of the can, but she knows how stupid that looks here.]