thesphererp | [video // @jackwynand56] first transmission.

[His mouth opens as if to speak, but then she touches his thigh and his brain may as well have short-circuited. Instead he lets out a hushed little sigh, and his eyes follow her in a daze as she walks away.

Oh wait. She asked a question. She wants to know about Rapture. Focus, idiot.]

It's like this place. Underwater. But it leaks. And everyone... [He furrows his brow, fighting the urge to clam up and forcing himself to say something substantial.] ...Everyone was bad. Evil. Crazy. I had to.. I needed the guns. To stay alive.

[She glances over his shoulder and notices the vacant stare for only a second before he answers her question. Maybe he is sick? Is moatloaf like meatballs but with less sauce and no noddles? She really hoped so.

A small pot warms on the stove as she tosses tomato sauce and large meatballs into a pot. The tomato sauce should keep it from burning while the meatballs heat up. She hopes it's enough.]

That doesn't sound like fun. [It's the understatement of the year.] Oh, umm... I can tell you that the people here aren't evil. I don't think you'll need guns. They might say mean things sometimes but I think it's because their scared. I don't think they want to hurt anyone.

[She doesn't expect him to believe her but she hopes that it helps.]

Um... Are you sure you're okay? You don't look well.

[It smells heavenly, if nothing else. It's so very... domestic, he almost feels like he's dreaming.]

I'm okay. [He assumes she's talking about the dark circles under his eyes, or the unhealthy pallor of his skin.] No sunlight in Rapture. And I... did some stupid things. I changed my- genetics. A lot.

[He sort of wonders how much of him is really... him. He couldn't wrap his head around all his modifications if he tried, and he wouldn't have been able to stomach reading through his documentation.]

[She lowers the heat to a simmer and turns back towards Jack. Her eyes appear bluer than they had before, bright and warm, as if the color reflected the curious questions buzzing around in her head.]

Genetics? I'm not familiar. [She pauses, her lips pressing light together creating a thin thoughtful line.] Are you saying that you aren't human anymore? [Her head tilts curiously to the side and thin long strands of wheat colored hair fall over her shoulder.] Is that really a bad thing? I only ask because, you make it sound like it's bad, but it's you. You are yourself and I think that's wonderful.

[Being a person and begin alive, it's precious, but only Jack could decide what his life meant. It was up to him to define it.]

[He isn't sure how to take that... it's comforting, sure, but he doesn't feel like it's... true. The words fall a bit flat, against the knowledge that he was born and raised to kill and nothing else.]

I'm a splicer. They're bad. They're not human. And... [His brow furrows, looking increasingly uncomfortable with the topic.] ...I'm not... wonderful. I was- supposed to be bad. I killed- a lot of people. Back... home. In Rapture.

[He saved a lot of children, too, but that was a fluke. Or Tenenbaum's doing, just using him like everyone else. If she hadn't come along... well, Atlas would have gotten his way at every turn.]

Edited 2019-02-26 14:27 (UTC)

[She takes a moment to consider what he's telling her. She's met a lot of bad people. She's been kidnapped, tormented and tortured but she doesn't see Jack exactly in that light. He's like a partially blank slate and nothing about it feels firm just yet.]

Alright. [She agrees with a nod.] You were a bad person. Maybe you were born to be one. That's how it was for me. Me and my sister, we were supposed to be bad. [It's one of the reasons that she can never return home, even if she wants too.] Whatever it is that people intend for us, in the end, we get to choose.

You can be bad or not. My sister, she choose to be bad but I want to find her and show her that its never to late to turn back. It doesn't matter what others say or do. All that matters is what you want to do. Who you are is up to you. Even if it's hard and doesn't seem like it sometimes.

That's what... I believe.

[He's a little blown away by that answer; it almost feels like someone whipping away a curtain, and leaving him in the sunlight. He's been told about choice, sure - but always with pity, and the assertion that he himself cannot choose. That he is a slave to others, and therefore worthless.]

I want to be good. [He grimaces.] I don't know if I can. But I want to.

[He runs a hand nervously through his hair, and his fingers catch on old dried blood... he really needs to remember to take a bath, but he isn't about to do it at a near-stranger's house.

He wonders how much of that blood is Ryan's.]

There was a man in Rapture. He... forced me to kill people. He controlled me. And I let him. And then I killed him, too. Someone else could control me. If they wanted. They could make me bad.

[There isn't pity or pain in her countenance. It's sad but being sad doesn't change what's already happened. All she can do is offer him patience, acceptance and warmth.

People do bad things but that doesn't make them bad people. It's something that she's always believed.] Then I'll help you.

[A soft sizzling noise drawings her attention to the stove top and she hurriedly turns off the stove and checks on the meatballs inside. The food survives but she'll have to take some time to scrub the pot later.] I think that trying to be good is what matters the most. [She speaks a little louder as she places four large meatballs covered in tomato sauce in a new bowl.] And if that's what you want, then I want to help.

[She walks back to him and takes the seat next to him as she passes over the bowl and a fork. Hopefully he realizes that this, like the tea, is probably very hot.]

I might not look it but I'm resilient. You don't have to worry about hurting me.

[It isn't impossible but it's really really really really difficult.]

Mm.

[He takes the food, and just like the tea, he immediately digs in without a thought about the temperature. The damage to his tongue is starting to stack, though, and he winces after a few bites. Ugh, why hadn't he kept Winter Blast on hand? He really doubts he's going to find a Gatherer's Garden around here...]

Ice. Ice ice ice.

Eat slower and blow on it.

[She bites back a smile as she quickly rises to her feet and fetches him some ice. It takes her less than a minute to return with a cup of ice, that also happens to be filled with a very small amount of water.]

Here. Drink this.

[He must not be accustomed to eating hot foods.]

You should be more careful.

[He's just going to... crunch down on that ice for a bit, and then chug the water.]

Okay.

[He glances at his food, weighing the consequences of just continuing to eat it. He picks it up and... belatedly blows on it. He clearly knows what to do, it just took conscious effort to remember it.]

[She watches him for a second or two, making sure that he's okay and that he has enough ice. Then she realizes that she had tea... somewhere. Her head turns and she rises, walks to the kitchen, grabs the mug she'd left on the counter and returns to his side.

It's cold but cold tea has never really bothered her.]

Is that better? I'm sorry that it's so hot. I should have tried to cool it off some.

[It's really only because they'd been talking and for a brief moment she'd forgotten that she had been making him food. A brief moment is all it takes to have done transform into burnt.]

How is it? I made these yesterday but I made too much.

I love it.

[He's cooled off his food a little bit, at least enough that he doesn't mind eating it. Although once he's done he ends up hiccuping from gulping it down so fast. Now that he thinks of it, he doesn't think he's eaten anything substantial in a few days.]

Is there more?

[She places her tea cup down on the table next to his guns and thoughtfully stares in the direction of the kitchen. Not everything in the fridge belongs to her but she might have a little something more.]

I don't have any more of that. [They'd been rather large meatballs but it wouldn't have been enough if he's been living off of candy bars.] I might have something else or I can make you something.

I don't mind either.

[He doesn't look like the kind of person who'd be allergic to anything but she asks just in case.]

Are you picky? or is there anything that you can't eat?

[A beat.]

I assume that you'd prefer meat of some kind?

[His smile falters a bit; he used to be picky, but a few electrical shocks and forced feedings got that out of him. That is one of Suchong's lessons that he remembers very well.]

I'll eat anything. [Hiccup.] ...No fish. I hate fish.

[He's really, really sick of fish.]

[She smiles.] No fish then. [She's silent as she steps back towards the kitchen and starts preparing something for Jack to eat. There isn't a lot but she has the makings for a sandwich with various lunch meat, fresh bread, tomato and an herb mixture to coat the bread with.]

One day I'd like to find out what your favorite foods are.

[She places the rather large sandwich in front of him and returns to the kitchen to clean up.]

This is the last of what I have. [That isn't her roommates.] If you'd like something else we can go out. I have a little bit of money. [Only because she doesn't buy anything... ever.]

Sorry.

[He hadn't meant to eat through her pantry... although he is a little surprised that she doesn't have more on hand. This is a much better place than Rapture, and yet.

He takes the sandwich and does his best to slow down and savor it, but he is hungry and keeps eating much faster than he intends to.]

It's okay. Can I smoke?

[It was pretty much fair game back home, but some people cared when it was in their house... better to ask than not.]

[It isn't difficult to keep enough food in the apartment for herself and Simon. She doesn't eat a lot and in order to make sure that nothing goes bad or is wasted, she buys very little at a time.]

Oh. Um...

[She looks unsure.]

I don't mind but I don't live here alone. I'm not sure how my young friend feels about smoking. Perhaps this once? I'll light a candle and I'll let you know if it's alright for the future as well.

[She wants to make everyone comfortable and she has recently purchased this pink rose scented candle. She wants to know if it'll actually smell like roses.] Are you still hungry?

I'm okay.

[He isn't full, but he doesn't want to overstay his welcome.

He takes one of the cigarette packs from the table and takes one out. Instead of pulling out a lighter he snaps his fingers, and a small flame appears on his index finger and thumb. He lights up from it and then offers the cigarette pack to her, figuring it's the polite thing to do.]

[She smiles.]

No but thank you.

[She slides a little closer to Jack and pulls a small pink candle out from beneath the coffee table. It's cute and has a little image of a rose on it.] But could you light this for me? I bought it the other day because I missed the smell of flowers. I don't know if it really smells like flowers but it's worth trying.

[There are some gardens here but it's very different from what she's used too.]

[That candle is pretty nice, and Jack nods before snapping his fingers while focusing on the wick. The flame springs to life on its own, and he leans a bit closer out of curiosity. Not that he's going to get a clear sense of the smell with a cloud of nicotine around him.]

It's pretty.

[He's not sure he likes flowers - he hasn't had many good experience with them, but he can keep an open mind.]

Thank you. I haven't bought many things since arriving here but I bought this.

[She really misses wide open fields filled to the brim with flowers. It's really the only part of the Sphere's that she finds uncomfortable. That and the sky. You can't fly without access to the sky.

She curls up on the couch next to him, folding her legs so they tucked beneath her.]

Is there anything that you will miss, from where you were before? It didn't sound like a very nice place.

Mm...

[The smile slowly drops off of his face. There are not many things he misses about Rapture. But there are moments, little links in the Great Chain that were good.]

Tenenbaum. She... took care of me. She saved my life. And- I have daughters. Five of them. I promised I'd keep them safe when I left, but then...

[But then he ended up back under the ocean. Are the little sisters okay? Is Tenenbaum?]

[She reaches forward and lightly places her palm on his arm.]

It'll be okay.

[She honestly feels bad for asking him now. Her intention hadn't been to bring up painful memories but happy ones that he could hold onto.] I'm sure they'll be fine and we'll get you home. You'll be able to see them again.

[She is in no position to make these promises but she means it. She'll try and find a way to reunite him with the people he cares about.]

[He glances at her hand, but doesn't move away from her. It is nice, to be touched and not hurt.

He takes a deep breath, and leans just a bit in her direction. He's careful not to put weight on her, just in case he hurts her.]

I hope so. [He hesitates.] Do you miss anyone? From home?

(no subject)

unknownmoirai - 2019-03-05 03:29 (UTC) - Expand