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[headjacked]

Heyyyyyyyy, kiddo, you've reached me. Me who is Rhys. Anyway, not sure why you're trying to get in contact with the king of the dweebs, but I'm sure you've got your reasons. Reasons you should probably re-examine. I'm just sayin'.

Last chance to back out.

No?

Don't say I didn't warn ya.

Comments

[phaseshifter]

[ Ordinarily, she might say it's granting her a level of satifaction from reversing their old roles. Right now, though? Not so much.

She glances at Rhys before continuing. Juuuuust in case he's awake again. He doesn't need shitty gloomthoughts in his head, thanks. ]

We're talking about it so you can be prepared.

And so I can ask you for a favour.

[headjacked]

[ Eyebrow again. He flickers, reappearing with his chin in his hands. ]

'Aaaaall ears, princess.'

[phaseshifter]

[ Jack. Jack pls. He gets Angel's very best attempt at a Look as withering as Beckett's before she elaborates. GOD. ]

If that happens, you need to hold it together long enough for the next session to commence. You know enough about the town layout and how things work here in general for you to be able to relay vital information to the next set of people.

[ Assuming there's going to be another set. ]

You're the only person who can survive whatever purge gets initiated. Dumpy can fly, and we know you're not hooked into any of the town's systems or the admin would have deleted you already.

[headjacked]

[ Chin. Off. Hands. Honestly, the thought of what would happen to him if that went down did occur to him. And he pushed it away, of course. ]

'That's it, just hang around while my kid -- kid - s-s'

[ Jack looks equal parts distressed and enraged before vanishing, image flickering and distorting. Dumpy smeeps in response, as quietly as a robot can smeep. ]

[phaseshifter]

Don-- oh... frick.

[ Well. She can't say that was unexpected. Jack freaking the fuck out and Dupy being adorable are pretty much the standard.

Seriously, so adorbs.

He smeep.

Angel takes a deep breath and counts to ten before picking Dumpy up for cuddletime. Cuddletime and kissus and little cooing noises. He's a good robot nephew! Probably the best. He deserves the cuddles.

Plus she can try and gently cool any overheated areas with her freezing cold hands while she gives up the snuggles. She's patient, and this is important. She can wait until Jack returns. NO AVOIDING THIS ONE, BUCKO. ]

[headjacked]

[ Rhys sleepily echoes Dumpy's smeep before snortfling and readjusting on the ground. Dumpy stays quiet, soaking up the attention before Jack returns.

And return he does, partially phased through Angel's arm. Not super willingly. Not that it's ever his choice anymore. ]

'This discussion is over.'

[phaseshifter]

[ Christ. Angel is busy wondering how the fudge everyone she knows is SO FREKING CUTE when Jack pops back up. Not everyone is a cutie. This shitlord doesn't even fukken smeep. Git gud, casul.

I mean she. Moves her arm. Very considerate. Dumpy can have one-armed cuddles for now. ]

If you actually want to redeem yourself - if you ever cared about me or Rhys - you should hear me out. You owe me that.

[headjacked]

[ The Rhys bit gets a scoff out of him, though. ]

'Oh, ooookay, so we've got the perceived weakness exploitation out of the way -- b-but sure! Sure, what else do you want to hit me with??'

[ Someone's getting loud again. ]

[phaseshifter]

Quiet, please.

[ No waking the smeepnoodle. Or shorting out again. Or both. ]

We have evidence that the whole multiple universes theory comes into play here. There've been multiples of several people, Rhys included. So imagine that in the next batch of people who get dumped here, there's another Angel and Rhys. Fresh ones. Ones who haven't been through all the crap we've been through here. Ones who haven't learned not to trust you.

You could start over and become an actual hero. Another me could grow up to be safe and happy and alive, Jack, and it would be thanks to you.

[headjacked]

[ She didn't hit so much as SMASH all of his buttons at once. Not the most graceful of executions. Blunt, actually. And more than a little obvious.

Still, he IS quiet. Until he just chuckles, low and unsettling. ]

'And then we all live happily ever after. Except, oh, Rhys probably having another me in his head. A-and then the next one, he'll probably have one too! And the next one, and the next one... maybe I'll just get my Jack army after all. Won't that be SWELL?'

[phaseshifter]

Please. An army would require a common goal and cohesive leadership. Get multiple Jacks in a room and you'd spend five minutes complimenting each others' abs before turning on each other. You couldn't work together, because none of you would share. All this assuming you would get a parade of Rhyses with their own Jacks. You might get one from before all that.

[ here it comes ]

You could even get an Angel from before everything went to heck in the control core. Or one who's still a child. She'd need her dad, don't you think? You've seen how many kids show up here. And what happens to them.

[ BABBY BOMB DEPLOYED ]

[headjacked]

[ Babby bombs are an excellent way of getting Jack to go from sneering to devastated-looking in seconds. Target: obliterated. He's gone again, for a few seconds, then a few minutes.

But he comes back. He's always back. ]

'Like I have any real choice.'

[phaseshifter]

Of course there's a choice. I wouldn't be asking you if there wasn't.

[ He gets that much credit, at least. Despite everything. And after a momentary pause, Angel offers her fist for bumping. ]

Thank you.

[ Intangible fistbumps aren't, like, hugs, but. BABBY STEPS. ]