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[toabsolution]

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[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.

[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'.