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[Tim smacks Jacobi's shoulder with the back of his hand.]
As a hobby or something, wanker. You like doing shit with your hands, the complex shit requires meticulous forethought.
[He grabs the couch as he's talking, pulling it forward and lowering it back to the ground, scooping up one of the beers as he flops down.]
But pardon me for trying to enrich your life.
As a hobby or something, wanker. You like doing shit with your hands, the complex shit requires meticulous forethought.
[He grabs the couch as he's talking, pulling it forward and lowering it back to the ground, scooping up one of the beers as he flops down.]
But pardon me for trying to enrich your life.
[And he's happy enough to join him on the couch, gently knocking his beer against Tim's.]
You are so pardoned for suggesting such a menial task.
You are so pardoned for suggesting such a menial task.
I realize you're- you're probably exceptionally busy, given the work you're doing. But do you have a few minutes to talk at all? There's-
There's something I need to talk to you about.
There's something I need to talk to you about.
Oh yeah. So busy.
[This is nothing new. He's thriving.]
In person?
[This is nothing new. He's thriving.]
In person?
My office, if you can. Or I can come to you, I suppose.
I have two legs. I'll be there.
--
And a few minutes later, Jacobi's doing the very extra annoying knock on the door while opening and saying "Knock knock" with a knowing grin.
--
And a few minutes later, Jacobi's doing the very extra annoying knock on the door while opening and saying "Knock knock" with a knowing grin.
Jon gives him a tired scowl that doesn't last long since it's good to see his stupid face after quite a few days of... well, not. He hasn't seen him properly since new years, he's reasonably certain.
"Close the door behind you, will you?"
Less irritated, more just... wanting it closed, please.
"Close the door behind you, will you?"
Less irritated, more just... wanting it closed, please.
He knows that this is something Serious, but Jacobi's incapable of taking things seriously when they need to be, so he closes the door and laughs.
"Ooh, so it's that kind of meeting? I mean, I don't think Warren would like it, and I'd rather not get torn up by Martin today."
He pulls over the chair and sits across from him.
"Ooh, so it's that kind of meeting? I mean, I don't think Warren would like it, and I'd rather not get torn up by Martin today."
He pulls over the chair and sits across from him.
Jon's eyeroll is mildly epic but his lips are curled and the whole thing is so fond there's not an ounce of venom in it.
"Yes, yes, our sordid affair that has no name."
He settles in his seat.
"I'm- I'm sure you've noticed the current- the situation that's happening aboard. The Admiral's grasp on certain people's abilities going haywire."
"Yes, yes, our sordid affair that has no name."
He settles in his seat.
"I'm- I'm sure you've noticed the current- the situation that's happening aboard. The Admiral's grasp on certain people's abilities going haywire."
"Oh yeah, inmates having a ball. I've heard." He leans back. "Jon, spit it out. It'll be easier if you do. I've never known you to be -- reticent."
Jon won't beat around the bush, not on this.
"You need to know how to- the weak point on someone like me. Someone like Elias."
He swallows.
"Martin knows, I'm sure. But there's- there's always the chance he'll be down at the time. And I can't-" He shakes his head. "it can't just be him."
"You need to know how to- the weak point on someone like me. Someone like Elias."
He swallows.
"Martin knows, I'm sure. But there's- there's always the chance he'll be down at the time. And I can't-" He shakes his head. "it can't just be him."
Jacobi is suddenly very, very sober.
"Ah." He folds his arms across his chest. "Alright. So tell me."
"Ah." He folds his arms across his chest. "Alright. So tell me."
He'll point to his temple, then curl his finger around to the, well, the obvious answer. There's a click as he pointedly turns a tape recorder off.
"Destroy them."
"Destroy them."
His eyes flick over to the click of the recorder, but swallows hard at the knowledge. And then - then it's gone. His soft demeanor leaves and he returns to himself again.
"Alright," he says, clapping his hands together once. "Sounds good. I'll remember that. So. Anything else?"
"Alright," he says, clapping his hands together once. "Sounds good. I'll remember that. So. Anything else?"
A breath out, clear relief, and he knows Jacobi-
He knows Jacobi takes it seriously. He can't get the memory out of his mind, the way his arms had turned from grabbing to holding. The look on his face when he'd walked away. The look on his face when he'd broken in that very chair and stopped.
For him.
He knows he made the right choice. He knows, inmate or no, Jacobi-
Jacobi will take care of it. He trusts him.
"No. No, just- just be careful. He's probably taking what he can while things aren't working properly. Don't be surprise if a certain name pops out of his mouth. He likes to hurt people like that.
"I wish I could do more."
He knows Jacobi takes it seriously. He can't get the memory out of his mind, the way his arms had turned from grabbing to holding. The look on his face when he'd walked away. The look on his face when he'd broken in that very chair and stopped.
For him.
He knows he made the right choice. He knows, inmate or no, Jacobi-
Jacobi will take care of it. He trusts him.
"No. No, just- just be careful. He's probably taking what he can while things aren't working properly. Don't be surprise if a certain name pops out of his mouth. He likes to hurt people like that.
"I wish I could do more."
Jacobi leans forward, arms on his knees.
And he will take care of this. There's no other way around it. He will take care of Jon. Do what he needs. Because he loves him so deeply that it doesn't matter what it is. Jacobi will sacrifice whatever he has.
"Oh good. Well, I guess a little taste of my own medicine won't kill me."
And he will take care of this. There's no other way around it. He will take care of Jon. Do what he needs. Because he loves him so deeply that it doesn't matter what it is. Jacobi will sacrifice whatever he has.
"Oh good. Well, I guess a little taste of my own medicine won't kill me."
Jon will give him a very flat look.
"None of that. He's a 200 year old violent narcissist. No one deserves any of what he has to offer, quite frankly."
"None of that. He's a 200 year old violent narcissist. No one deserves any of what he has to offer, quite frankly."
Jacobi snorts. "I can't be hurt by Maxwell. And if I can, then I nee to get stronger. Because she's not my weak spot. She can't be."
"I never said she was," he says quietly, "but he will use her on what is. Honestly, I'm mostly hoping he's so spoiled for choice he doesn't get too much from anyone. When it was the lot of us in the Archives, it was a small group. Easy to watch."
"He and I don't talk," he says softly. "So I think he would be better sticking with easier targets." He shrugs.
"Hopefully," he says, and the fact that they haven't seen each other much since the trouble started? That's encouraging.
"I... I might be scarce for a bit. The less we associate while this is happening-"
"I... I might be scarce for a bit. The less we associate while this is happening-"
Jacobi just blinks at him.
"That's stupid," he says plainly. "Don't go all tragic hero on me. It's really overdone. Also, you don't have the right haircut for it."
"That's stupid," he says plainly. "Don't go all tragic hero on me. It's really overdone. Also, you don't have the right haircut for it."
His laugh is... it's a little hollow. Tired.
"Far more romantic than I've ever been. I'm just- I'd prefer he didn't target you. I get-
"Frankly, I get stupid when the people I care about are hurt. And no one needs me being stupid."
"Far more romantic than I've ever been. I'm just- I'd prefer he didn't target you. I get-
"Frankly, I get stupid when the people I care about are hurt. And no one needs me being stupid."
"Oh you get stupid when people you care about get hurt? You do? Sure. Okay. Yeah. Buddy, we're in this together. And I'm not going to let him dictate my life. I'm tired of megalomaniacal assholes telling me what to do and forcing me to act a certain way."
He leans forward.
"Fuck Elias," he says with a laugh.
He leans forward.
"Fuck Elias," he says with a laugh.
He makes a very sour face.
"Ugh, I'm sure someone has or will. People here are remarkably stupid about that sort of thing, honestly."
But he'll laugh at the end, because yes, that's- that's a very nice idea. Fuck Elias indeed.
"Ugh, I'm sure someone has or will. People here are remarkably stupid about that sort of thing, honestly."
But he'll laugh at the end, because yes, that's- that's a very nice idea. Fuck Elias indeed.
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