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[toabsolution]

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[toabsolution]

[The dishes are a cabinet beside the stove, but he doesn't offer to help. If she wants to be snarky, then she can be snarky.]

Thought about it. Better than beans.

[dog_eat_dog]

[Searching longer means marginally more time to snoop, anyway.]

More protein in beans. [Does that mean anything to a guy from the 19th century? No idea.] Fruit has almost no fat, too, and you need that the most when you're low on food.

[toabsolution]

[She won't find too much around. He's purged all touches of Alice from his cabin the first day here and everything else is generic and sterile.

Still, he watches her snoop.]

Don't much like beans.

[He knows that she's trying to help, but he's too tired to be compliant. Or to make it easy.]

[dog_eat_dog]

Then starve.

[She says it playfully enough, but she rolls her eyes when she's got her back turned, feeling confident that no one here will take food seriously until they have to live through a famine. For their sake she hopes it doesn't happen, but for her own sanity, she'd love for anyone else to understand it.

If it comes to starving, she won't be sharing.

She finds a bowl and moves back to the stove to stir the soup.]

Shame you're all old-fashioned, death tolling is a good excuse to just lay in bed for a few days watching movies.

[toabsolution]

Won't starve, Tess. I've got rations here and I've been keepin' what can be kept from the meals.

[Despite her teasing tone, his is serious. He remembers how seriously she took it before, and, while he doesn't want to argue, he doesn't want her to fret for his sake.

He has containers of granola, the aforementioned beans, fruit, cereals, and anything else he can store without worry. Of course, it's not because of a fear of starvation, but a desire to eat alone rather than exposed in the dining hall, but he's got enough.]

And I don't need movies when I got you to keep me entertained with your lectures and good humor.

[dog_eat_dog]

[She thinks of that stupid fucking conversation with Archer, and how easily people say "no one will starve", like she didn't grow up without it ever crossing her mind.

She turns around and looks at Jake and how rough he looks, and she decides to put the topic to bed. She's not convinced they're close enough for her to get away with picking too many arguments, and she's gotten far enough with him that it's not worth risking, either.

Simply:]

Alright.

[She finishes up with the soup and ladles it out.]

I do have a good sense of humor.

[toabsolution]

Yeah. Always comin' in here with a friendly damn smile and a nice word.

[He runs his hand down his face. He's endeared by her, including those rough edges. But he's not going to leave them be.]

[dog_eat_dog]

That's me, friendly.

[She comes back over to him, sitting down at his side, bowl in one hand, spoon in the other. She offers them over, but she'll spoon-feed him if she needs to.]

I'm not much of a cook but no making fun, alright?

[toabsolution]

[He'd rather spill it all over himself than have her feed it to him, so he takes the bowl and holds it close.]

I'm sure I've had worse. Can't remember it, but I'm sure it happened.

[He manages a grin before he actually starts to try and eat it.]

[dog_eat_dog]

[She chuckles under her breath.]

Death tolling and the worst meal in memory. What a week you're having.

[toabsolution]

It's fine, Tess. The only thing I've had in a while.

[He may be feeling sick, but he knows that not eating is going to make it worse. So he tries.]

Thanks for this.

[dog_eat_dog]

‘Least I could do.

[She’s just going to hang out at his bedside, idly letting a hand rest above his knee.]

What were you going to do if I didn’t show up? Wait for Misty?

[toabsolution]

Sleep it off. Wait for Misty, yeah. She brought medicine.

[Two pills that were difficult to swallow alone. But they did make him feel much better.]

But I knew you couldn't stay away.

[dog_eat_dog]

[Cocky asshole. A correct cocky asshole, though. She snorts.]

I'm gonna hang on to that mental image, you laying here, miserable, clinging to the hope that I'm going to slide in to make you feel better.

[toabsolution]

[He smirks. This is part of the reason he likes Tess. She can take what she dishes out. For the most part.]

Romantic.

[He sets the bowl in his lap, reaching down to put his hand over hers.]

Nice to know you got my best interests at heart.

[dog_eat_dog]

Well, you'd do the same for me.

[She says it lightly enough, but there's a thread of seriousness there, too.]

[toabsolution]

Damn right I would.

[He sets aside the bowl fully, leaning back down and taking her hand in his.]

Tell me what's happened while I've been in here.

[dog_eat_dog]

[Tess winds her fingers around his.]

Nothing crazy. Some old warden named Jonathan popped up again, some people were happy about that. Pagan's being his usual chatty self. Some warden girl showed up and says she's going to run custodial with Arthur.

[Tess knows almost nothing about Leia but has immediately decided she's going to be a pain.]

[toabsolution]

[Jake scoffs at that.]

Run custodial? Ain't Arthur been doin' that since he's been here? Wonder what he thinks about all that.

[dog_eat_dog]

I haven’t asked. [She knows being immediately shirty about people doesn't always land well with Arthur.] I looked up her post to the network though. She’s practically a little girl. I know she’s a politician, too. She probably isn’t cut out for it.

[toabsolution]

[He groans. There are some things that translate from his amnesia. Politicians are bad and obnoxious is a universal truth.]

Probably not. We got some young people around here on both sides. Don't know how that works.

[dog_eat_dog]

[Tess scoffs and scoots down the bed a little so she can lay down with him, head propped up on one hand.]

Me either. What the hell does a teenager know around the world enough to teach anyone else?

[toabsolution]

[He's still miserable, but the bit of soup in his stomach seemed to do wonders. At least enough that he doesn't feel like he's actively still dying.

He lets go of her hand and drapes an arm around her instead, letting his eyes close.]

Nothin'. Can understand how they end up on the inmate side. Life's shit. But if you got mixed with a kid like that? You'd walk all over 'em.

[dog_eat_dog]

[She settles in, cozying up a little closer.]

They wouldn't even know what hit 'em. Arthur's damn near the only one here who can keep up with me, and even then, I kept him off my trail for a while.

[toabsolution]

What were you doin' that needed him off your trail?

[He knows he won't be able to stay up much longer, but he can stay up this long. He can hear her out.]