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day 0 | jack
[ okay, there's only so much sulking around, covered in blood and dirt and your own tears you can do before maaaybe, probably, going to go take a shower. it's late by the time rhys arrives to the bathrooms -- the place being pretty much empty at first glance. he's glad because he's pushing the curfew boundaries here and he really just wants to take a moment to think.
there's a thought that's been tugging at the back of his head since he first arrived. an agreement he might have made that he can't seem to remember the particulars of and he's been too freaked out to really sit and think about it, try and figure out what's bugging him so much about this. he kind of wants to ask judy about it but he's still a little frosty on her and isn't quite so keen on the idea of engaging again just yet -- plus, what if someone happens to read his conversation? he can't risk that.
so, he needs some peace and quiet to really think -- clear his thoughts and figure out what's bugging him so badly. it can't be the jack thing, he thinks, he's been over it for long enough and he told the jack here to leave him alone so... so, he should be fine, right? right.
when rhys gets to the bathroom, he's holding a towel and a bar of soap in one hand and a pair of asymmetrical pajama bottoms and an old hyperion sweater of his in the other. he's pretty relieved to have his normal pajamas here, at least. it's a small comfort for the strange circumstances. he's frowning to himself, thoughts swirling when he hears a noise, looks up, and --
oh, it's jack. ]
Aren't you supposed to be in your room? It's almost curfew.
there's a thought that's been tugging at the back of his head since he first arrived. an agreement he might have made that he can't seem to remember the particulars of and he's been too freaked out to really sit and think about it, try and figure out what's bugging him so much about this. he kind of wants to ask judy about it but he's still a little frosty on her and isn't quite so keen on the idea of engaging again just yet -- plus, what if someone happens to read his conversation? he can't risk that.
so, he needs some peace and quiet to really think -- clear his thoughts and figure out what's bugging him so badly. it can't be the jack thing, he thinks, he's been over it for long enough and he told the jack here to leave him alone so... so, he should be fine, right? right.
when rhys gets to the bathroom, he's holding a towel and a bar of soap in one hand and a pair of asymmetrical pajama bottoms and an old hyperion sweater of his in the other. he's pretty relieved to have his normal pajamas here, at least. it's a small comfort for the strange circumstances. he's frowning to himself, thoughts swirling when he hears a noise, looks up, and --
oh, it's jack. ]
Aren't you supposed to be in your room? It's almost curfew.
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That's a bit of an understatement, but "strange" is the best word that Jack can use to describe this without freaking out. There are a lot of unknowns here which would be unsettling under normal circumstances, but for once, those unknowns actually don't bother him quite as much. The anxiety of those is buried far beneath the anxiety of thinking of what might be happening outside this complex, at "home", or whatever. Calling Helios "home" feels strange, but at the same time, he knows that's true. You don't get assigned to a project like that and expect to get reassigned anywhere else in your lifetime. Not in Hyperion.
But the anxiety comes from the fact that it might not ever be home at this rate. Considering how that freak Zarpedon had kind of taken it over? Yeah, that was a problem. He may have had Vault Hunters (and a body double and more unfortunately, a Claptrap) working on trying to help him retake the station, but... There's anxiety in that too. He's been trying to think of every way he could to get in contact with them, but even just thinking about that, he reaches a brick wall. He can't remember who he's supposed to be contacting in the first place. He can remember their skills, what he friggin' promised to pay the assholes, but their names? Their faces? Nothing. He can remember that it's as difficult to actually get them to do their damn jobs as it is to herd cats, but it's not like he can send his reminders that they have a moon to save if he doesn't know who to send them to.
So fittingly, Jack is heading to the showers for a similar reason, albeit with very different worries on his mind. The relaxation of the shower might give him the time and frame of mind to try and peace things together better than what he already has. And really, he was inclined to go earlier in the day, but there was some hesitation in knowing he probably wouldn't be alone. He didn't like to think of himself as self-concious. Really, Jack didn't actually care about people seeing the scars on his back, not anymore. The real problem was people asking about them. There's no real way to say "yeah, my grandma was a bitch and beat the shit out of me" that didn't just turn the conversation so awkward and uncomfortble that everyone involved regreted asking.
Jack thinks that his plan was a good one for a solid few minutes, because the showers are empty and have been for a while. He's already gotten mostly undressed, and his clothes are tossed over the door of one of the shower stalls with a lack of anywhere else to put them. The sound Rhys hear is Jack taking off his belt, since he's shirtless by now and is working on the rest. Jack doesn't look pleased to see Rhys, since the guy had been a dick to him this morning, and there's a sarcastic roll of his eyes. ]
Yeah, one, could say the same to you, buddy, two, we don't have curfew or whatever right now. Apparently.
[ Jack looks to the clothes on the shower door as if he's considering just putting them on and coming back later, but... No. He was here first, so fuck this guy. He just continues taking off the belt, which also gets draped over the door. He's also pretty ready to just let the conversation go there, but the flash of yellow catches his eye, and it gets Jack to pause. He makes a light huh sound, then just asks idly: ]
Hyperion?
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yet, try as he might, he can't seem to pinpoint specifics. he feels hurt when he thinks of jack, betrayal, a vulnerability he doesn't quite like but when he tries to dig up why, there's just a huge blank there. he was... friends with the AI, right? but then the AI betrayed him and it... all gets kind of fuzzy there. all it brings is a tingling sensation to his eyes and a closing of his throat instead. so, he reacts with white hot anger and buries it down deeper.
he has to get this under control, he thinks. ]
Please. July can do whatever she wants, doesn't mean I'm going to listen to her.
[ rhys frowns then, moving to the closest stall towards him which happens to be a few cubicles down from jack. if he was really trying to avoid jack, he knows he'd take a stall all the way across the room and ignore any questions at all but this is rhys and his curiosity outweighs anything else. he slings his pajamas over the door and starts unbuttoning his vest, frown still tugging at his face.
honestly, he doesn't really question undressing in front of jack either. he's not ripped or anything but he's not insecure about his body at all. so, he doesn't really give it any thought as he gets to work, toeing off his shoes at the same time. ]
Ex-Hyperion, thank you. Atlas is my company now.
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Then, see? No problem. Because same. She's just a voice, so what can she friggin' do?
[ He actually knows better than that, and it's why once that curfew starts, Jack won't exactly be itching to break the rules. He'd rather see some other moron break it first so that he knows just what consequences being a rebel entails.
Jack laughs, though it's short and clearly not quite believing what Rhys says. For one, ex-Hyperion totally isn't a thing unless you're dead, but. He won't even touch that part of it, since there's something much more unbeliveable to him here. ]
Atlas, seriously? I mean, if you're gonna lie, at least pick something more believeable. That company- I mean, it's gone under? Waaaay under. So under that I hired the chick that killed 'em all, so— [ Something occurs to him, and he pauses before he changes his mind on what he's saying. ]
Well, no. I guess she coulda missed one, but, uh, in that case. I won't tell her? But, y'know, she's— [ how does one put this nicely ] —determined.
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still, recognition hits him when jack starts talking about athena, and he looks over at him with wide eyes because he -- he knew jack knew athena. he knew they were partners but, no? this isn't the real jack, it can't be. if it's the real jack, why hasn't he attempted to kill rhys yet? no, this is a... jack but if it's the original, rhys can't be sure. another AI, maybe?
either way, it means rhys has to push and what better way to push than with the truth? ]
You're talking about Athena. [ he pauses, considering what to say before -- ] No, yeah. I know her. We're friends. I'm even, uh, invited to her wedding.
[ well, he's kind of ASSUMING SO but he also doesn't really know how that's going down considering he has no idea if fiona and sasha even want him around anymore. or. if they're alive. this is really starting to make him upset again and instead he shakes his head and gets working on his pants. ]
Naaaah, nah, nah. Athena and I are cool. Probably because, you know, Hyperion tanked and she wants to make sure the new Atlas CEO doesn't botch the job. Hahaaa.
[ he grins and it's smug and douchey and so utterly hyperion as he turns it on jack, feeling like he's really got the upper hand here. ]
I mean, wouldn't you want to make sure too? I think it's fair.
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Rhys continues, and Jack's brow knits together in clear confusion. Every piece Rhys overs doesn't resonate with Jack at all, and considering the apparent gap in his memory, that troubles him more than a little. Athena having a fiancee was a surprise, but that doesn't worry him too much. Sure, she worked for him, but... They weren't friends, he guessed. She was just in it for the money, so, yeah, maybe she wouldn't have mentioned something that personal. But Hyperion and Atlas? That was a different matter entirelly.
Jack's expression twists up a little more into a difficult expression, one that looks concerned, and he pauses to run a hand through his hair. It's a nervous gesture to fill a pause as he quickly thinks through this. There's a lot of information that doesn't make sense crammed into just a few sentences. And normally? He'd dismiss it immediately. He knows that smug, douchebag smile. He's given it to other people his fair share of times, because, yeah, with that smile? He at least totally believes that this guy is (or was) Hyperion. So if you work for Hyperion, you do whatever you have to. Telling some extravagant lies to coworkers for an advantage was definitely fair game there.
But he's wondering if it is a lie. There are gaps in his memory that he can't ignore here, and no matter how he tries to reconcile them, the pieces simply don't fit together. Helios was in trouble, sure, but Hyperion? As a whole? No way. It was too big to fail. Even if Atlas did somehow rise from the ashes of that dumpster fire that that chick (Athena?) made, that would probably say something about the guy that decided to head it up. Jack's hand drops back to his side, and he laughs as he shakes his head. He'd paused for a moment, but he starts to take off his pants too even as they continue this conversation and his mind is still racing to try and keep this conversation on a track he can control. ]
Uh-huh. So, Mr. Hot Shot Atlas CEO. Gotta say, that's kinda hard to believe. I mean. Hyperion? Hyperion, as in the company that's got enough cash to just throw to build a giant space station above Pandora. Doesn't fail.
[ He makes a dismissive noise, then stands up straight to look at Rhys and raise an eyebrow. ]
Look, if you and Athena are friends, that's cool? Like, seriously, awesome, because she's scary and doesn't always play well with others. But the rest of that? Gonna have to call bullshit unless you've got more to back it up.
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that's the simplest way he can explain it. he has a lot of built up issues and resentment towards jack after what happened with his AI and the shattering of his idolization. he can't tell if it was just the AI that betrayed him or jack himself and the existence of this jack here, either a younger version or a copy or someone with his memory wiped -- it's enough to make rhys' simmering ire focus on one specific point again, which is jack. he's been mad about a lot of things since helios -- fiona, sasha, jack, everyone who left him alone and with nothing to do but think and rebuild. it's been far too long since he's been able to let these feelings out and a simple question occurs to him right now -- what's he holding back for?
so, hands paused on the hem of his pants, he blinks a few times at the floor before looks up to jack, expression blank. then, he gives a shake of his head and takes a few steps over to jack until he's crowding in his space, lip curled and robot hand falling to jack's shoulder as he grips it rather tightly. his voice drops low then, gravelly even, and he makes sure to meet jack's eyes. ]
Yeah, pal. I'm talking about Hyperion. Hyperion, that got a bit too big for its britches and let a guy like me kill their last CEO and fuck up Helios so badly I sent the god damn space station crashing into Pandora. It's one big garbage heap of metal now and a shining -- [ his hand tightens ] -- glory to my accomplishments. It's really great, I took a selfie with it and everything.
[ a pause and he takes a moment to take in every single thing about jack's face because this is still so weird and he isn't really sure what to make of it. what happened to jack? is this even jack? does it even matter when he's still taking his frustrations out on this guy anyway? ]
So, what you're gonna do, handsome, is you're going to go take your little shower and go back to your room and leave me alone because I don't care what kind of Jack you are, if you're another AI or the real thing or whatever, because I --
[ he pauses, catching himself then. he was just about to threaten to kill him again and that's -- that's a bit too far here, he's not sure he wants to play that card just yet. hell, they only just met today. fuck, fuck, fuck.
he gives a shake of his head and instead taps jack's cheek a few times with the metal hand and pulls back, pushing his pants down to leave him in his briefs and socks as he heads back to his stall. when he gets there, he looks back to jack then and -- ]
Yeah, I think I'll just do the same.
[ and then he ends it with some fingerguns before heading into his stall and locking it behind him. the water comes on a few moments after. ]
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Even so, he knows just as much to not push his luck here. There's an apology waiting on his lips complete with a "sir," because he's fairly certain that even if Rhys is bullshitting him, he should probably assume it's the truth until soundly proven otherwise for now. In this case, he'd rather be a fool that believed a lie rather than the guy that backtalked the new CEO of Atlas, since that's usually a good way to end up in a shallow grave. You just don't backtalk to CEOs like that. So he doesn't mind how Rhys steps into his personal space, the hand on his shoulder, or that dangerous tone. It's fair enough, he figures, because, yeah, some jackoff programmer talking shit to a CEO, probably not the best idea.
But. All of those kinds of thoughts about doing something logical or, you know, sane go out the window pretty quickly once Rhys starts to explain. All of the stuff about Hyperion, whatever, but when Rhys talks, no, brags about sending Helios into Pandora, Jack's apologetic looks shifts slowly into one of anger. His mouth sets into a thin line as his jaw tightens, because now Rhys isn't the only that's mad.
There's one pat on Jack's cheek, but he doesn't allow a second one. It's stupid, so stupid, and he'll kick himself for this later, but his temper is bubbling up. He reaches up and grabs Rhys's wrist before he can tap his cheek again. His own grip is strong (not that Rhys will exactly be able to feel it), and Rhys will have to pull away to go to the shower now. Jack interrupts, and his voice isn't quite as intimidating as Rhys's, but there's clear anger in his voice all the same. ]
What the fuck is your problem?
[ It's mostly a rhetorical question, but Jack is honestly wondering all the same. Granted, he's used to assholes, but not on this kind of immediate level. This kind of bragging about sending a space station that people live on into a planet, even if it's Pandora? That's more psychopath than asshole. And considering that last part about himself, possibly? He's honestly not sure, but this guy- He's gotta be insane. ]
Look, sir, fine, I believe you. Like, it doesn't make sense, because, uh, pretty sure Helios is still in the sky, considering I'm trying to stop a crazy asshole that's taken over it. But. Just assuming that you're telling the truth? [ It's about at this point that Jack realizes this is a super bad idea, and yet he can't stop talking now. ]
Ex-Hyperion, think you said. That means you were one of us, so, y'know, I gotta ask. How many of your former coworkers did you kill for your glory?
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he can't be real, he can't.
if he's real, rhys isn't sure how to handle it because then here he is again, with no idea of what to do or how to go forward, and desperately wanting jack to tell him what. he wants to trust jack, to just let jack take the lead and follow him happily down whatever past he takes as... partners! that's what he's always wanted but then jack fucked it up for some reason (maybe, a voice whispers in the back of his head, it was the programming?) and rhys is stuck here. all this power and no idea how to use it.
so, actually, it's kind of a relief when jack finally gets mad enough to grab him and while usually, jack might see apprehension on someone's face if he grabs their wrist like that -- all rhys gives back is... delight. a flash of recognition, followed by pure delight that turns into a nasty kind of smile as jack reams him out. there he is, there's his jack. he's not sure how much of this smile is fake and how much he feels but he just... doesn't know what other way to react because the doubts still plague him. it's weird, having jack mad at him like this for... something he knew jack would do too! jack wouldn't care about helios, not like this, so why is he mad at rhys for doing... what he was taught?
god, it's so damn confusing and for a moment, rhys hesitates. the smile drops at jack's last sentence and he's not... sure quite how to react so he grabs at the anger. the anger is real and volatile and he can use it so, rhys does what he does best. he uses his head!
... in that, he headbutts jack immediately to get him to back off. he has jack's own voice in the back of his head, a reminder of vssquez' poor attempt -- you have to aim for the nose and so he does, forehead bashing right in and while he stumbles for a moment -- rhys has a pretty hard noggin, so he barely even loses a step. after that, he kind of... snarls at jack as his hands reach out to grab him by the shoulders. ]
As many as I had to, you fucking asshole! Everyone's dead, even Blake, and I don't regret a bit of it because it's what I had to do. And I'm getting really sick of you acting like you don't know what happened! What is this, some kind of joke? Another AI? You -- you're trying to get me to do it again, aren't you? I'm not doing it again, Jack. I'm done with you and I'm done with Hyperion. Is this because I took Atlas? Ha... hahahaha! Of course it is! You petty bitch!
[ and then rhys breaks out into laughter, a manic kind of laughter because he still doesn't understand what's happening here, about jack. this is another trick, isn't it? all of it? this entire place? maybe that's the memory he's missing, the agreement he signed. maybe he didn't really kill jack and jack sent him here as some sort of fucked up for of revenge and he has to deal with this... this fake, that doesn't really know anything.
he stops laughing and if jack is still gripped by his shoulders here, rhys closes his mouth for a moment just to... bring up as much spit as possible and hurl a loogie right in jack's face. ]
You never wanted me to be happy!
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Son of a—
[ It's practically growled out, because his nose is throbbing with a sharp enough pain that Jack at least knows that the advice that Rhys had been given was sound. Blood starts to pour out of his nose but he grins in a way that's unmistakably the Jack that Rhys knows. Even if this was a younger, apparently more moral Jack, it's easy to see how his eyes very suddenly and sharply get wide and wild. It's a part of Jack that's always been there, really, but unbeknownst to Rhys, Jack is only just beginning to find that out. ]
You— [ Jack shakes his head incredulously as Rhys rambles, because it does truly sound insane to his ears. It's no different from Zarpedon's explanations, and for a moment, Jack has to wonder if Rhys is the one that got Zarpedon into Helios in the first place. The Merriff was just some idiot pushover, but this guy? ]
You are insane, buddy!
[ He takes a step back, because really, Jack isn't a fighter. He knows this about himself, and even though it's embarrassing to back down from this situation, he knows he should. At least, until Rhys spits at him. That's a line that's crossed that gets the logic to disappear from Jack's brain once again, since just like that, his nasty temper flares up in a flash. He sees red, and before he can really even process what he's doing, he takes half a step forward to throw a punch at Rhys's jaw where he's putting the weight of his step into it. ]
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shit, rhys still doesn't know how to fight.
he's going to take that punch because he doesn't really know how to dodge it and they're still standing in the middle of the shower stalls, half naked and now covered in a bit of blood. it's not... ideal, but it's where he's at and rhys has to take a moment to think. unfortunately, he doesn't really have a moment to think so all he's going to do is work on instinct, even while his eyes fill up with tears. of course he's going to cry, what the fuck did you expect. ]
I am not insane! I did what I had to do so I could -- so I could get away from you. You were trying to kill me. Jack! Why don't you remember?!
[ and it hurts to talk actually because jack's fist caught him on his mouth and his lip is cut and his mouth is filling up with blood so he has to spit it out, teeth staining red. fuck, this got out of hand so quickly. he just wanted to take a shower! he's trying to get jack off his case now and he pulls back with his robot hand to bring it down hard across jack's face in a, uh, slap. look, he really doesn't know how to fight.
he hopes the metal meeting skin thing works to stun jack enough so he can lunge at him, hands going for his throat. there's an odd sort of symmetry in attempting to strangle jack, he thinks. payback for all the times jack's tried to strangle him. he's glad his robot hand is working with him for a moment here because damn, it'd be embarrassing if it just gave out on him again now. he's still not sure what's causing it to malfunction so much, honestly.
he spits again, wad of blood hitting the floor and hisses at jack through bloody teeth. as he talks, his eyes spill over with tears. ]
You have to remember. I don't know what happened to you but you have to remember otherwise this just -- this just makes me crazy. And I'm not crazy, okay? I know what happened. I saw it with my own eyes and we were -- we were partners and you betrayed me and then I had to kill everyone because you were going to kill me! I don't want to die, Jack. Why would you try to kill me? What did I do wrong? We were supposed to be together and you betrayed me.
[ well, when you put it like that, the strangling/crying combination might actually make a bit of sense, rhys. ]
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[ Jack starts to interrupt to yell back at Rhys, but the slap does catch him on the face, though Jack does try to jerk back to avoid it. He's just unfortunately not very successful in doing so, since he's still very new to this whole fight for your life thing. Jack is just about ready to throw another punch, since the more this guy talks, the more Jack just wants to kick his ass. However, that slap is just enough to give Rhys the slight beat he needs for his hands to wrap around Jack's throat instead. His own hands are quick to grab Rhys's wrists to try and pry them off.
He recognizes this feeling, and there's something troubling about that. It's a brief stab of fear, but the way it's so quickly replaced by excitement is alarming. He'd felt the same way when that stupid asshole Huxter had shot at his back. Hell, if this had come first? Maybe he'd just admit he has a Thing for getting strangled. But thankfully it's not exactly that kind of thrill. Rhys's hands, especially the mechanical one, are tight on his throat, but Jack still laughs as he wheezes out: ]
A- A slap, really? That's--
[ Even when getting strangled, he's still running his mouth, but it's cut off quickly. One, it's really friggin' hard to talk, but two, this is too much. He was right that this guy knows him, but the way he's describing this doesn't make any sense. Partners? Or-- Wait, what kind of partners did he mean here? Like, granted, he might swing towards dick sometimes, but not in a long time, one, and two, he's pretty damn sure he'd remember it. His grip on Rhys's wrists tighten as Rhys's eyes spill over, and Jack's expression gets more uncomfortable and alarmed. God, is this some kind of Nakayaka situation? ]
I have- Listen, level with me here, Christ!
[ Okay, prying at his arms is not working, so Jack instead tries to kick at Rhys's knees to get him to stumble and falter. Granted, talking to crazy people is usually a super bad idea, but... He can handle the Nakayata guy. He's learned to deal with that. So he just has to deal with... Whatever the hell this is, because it's not going to go away if Rhys is crying about it. ]
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okay, no. wait. he can't kill jack. fuck. he can't kill him, not like this, not when he knows what's going on and knows how jack -- how jack feels about him.
with a frustrated noise, he lets go of his throat and shoves jack away, walking off a little just to put some space between them. one hand goes to his waist while the other runs through his hair as he shakes himself off, tense and sticky with blood, and feeling sick to his stomach. he realizes then that he still hasn't eaten anything since he got here and with everything that happened tonight, that's going to catch up to him soon. fuck, fuck, fuck. ]
What do you want? I gotta, I gotta get you out of my head. I thought this was over but it's never over with you, is it? Fuck.
[ he rubs at his eyes with the heel of both hands, flinging himself to the wall and sliding down to the ground in one full swoop. he knows now that he definitely seems unhinged and maybe -- maybe he is but he's going to take a moment to press his forehead to his knees and shiver. he doesn't even know where to go from here, his mind is mush and jack wants to talk which is so... so dissonant from what rhys knows of jack that it just makes him more upset. he feels his breath hitch and he lets out a quiet little sob against his pants, hugging his knees closer to his chest.
he does say one last thing too, muffled against his clothes and tears and probably just even more weird on top of everything else. ]
... I missed you so much, Jack.
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Jack shakes his head to dismiss that thought, though he reaches up to drag his wrist under his nose to try and mop up some of that blood. He sniffs, though it comes with a murmured fuck because it does hurt more than a little. He wanders over to grab his towel as Rhys starts to... Either gather himself or break down. It's kind of both, so far as Jack can tell. He balls his towel up and sticks it under his nose to catch the blood, though it does make his voice muffled as he speaks. ]
Ohhhhh my god.
[ First thing's first, since he can't help expressing his disbelief here. That disbelief is almost grounding in a way, because the more incredulous he is at this guy's reaction, the more that fire that had started pushing him towards violence calms, which he's glad for. He spits on the shower floor too, a heavy splat of blood hitting the pristine white tile, but after that he just... Starts talking. In truth, he'd rather just leave, but he's also afraid if he does that, this (whatever "this" is) will just get worse. So. Confronting it is what he has to do. Unfortunately. ]
Look, Rhys, sir— [ The sir is added reluctantly, but Jack knows how these upper management types are. Give them some respect and they'll usually stop throwing a stupid tantrum. Now, granted, he's used to this more in the managing a project and budget sense, but this probably isn't that different. He hopes. ]
I have no idea what you're talking about. Seriously. I— Look, I don't know if it's just me or what, but-- But there are some memory issues going on here. Admittedly. But I'm pretty sure I'd remember, uh. You. [ This level of obsession or whatever was... a lot. ] So far as I know? I just met you this morning, dude. And you were also a dick. For the record.
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he's tired now and he wants that shower even more than before, wants to wash off the dirt and blood, get into his nice clean pajamas and go the fuck to sleep. he remembers, briefly, the fact that there might not actually be a soft place for him to sleep when he gets back to his room and that... uh, that sucks. that makes the whole of tonight's events even worse and he feels a fresh wave of misery crash over him. he hates this.
when he responds, it's unenthused and flat, all the fire gone again. ]
I'm always a dick. That's like, my thing or whatever.
[ that probably isn't the first thing he should clarify, but it's what he does. after, he runs a hand through his hair again in that nervous gesture of his, frowning off to the wall in front of him. ]
Though, I guess I'm having a bad day? Uhm. [ YOU TOLD HIM TO FUCK OFF AND JUST STRANGLED HIM, RHYS. ] Sorry. I'm not usually so... whatever this is. [ another frown and he presses a hand to his face. ] Aaaand I wouldn't be explaining that to you, usually. You would just know.
[ he takes a moment to get his thoughts together because despite how much this conversation just exploded, now that the adrenaline is gone and the secrets aren't pushing at the back of his teeth to get out, he can think a bit more clearly. of course, as always, his thoughts circle on jack and jack related things and he won't be able to clear the fog until this is over and he can be alone. fuuuuck.
his head drops back on the wall and he looks up at jack, eyebrows furrowed and expression curious, but wary. ]
You're not a AI, are you? You wouldn't be bleeding if that was the case. You look... younger then when I knew you though and you don't have your mask so, I don't know. Are you another body double?
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Wait, mask? You—
[ Jack starts to interrupt as Rhys explains, because when he mentions a mask, that definitely catches Jack's attention. There had been a really strange one waiting in his room when he got there. It had been disconcerting to say the very least, but Jack had also kept that discovery to himself. It gave him lots of questions, sure, but he couldn't think of a subtle way to ask about a creepy flesh mask of his own face. Because that was the weirdest thing about it, honestly. It was definitely his face. It'd been tempting to put it on, but doing so also felt like it would prompt something out of a weird horror movie, so he'd decided against it.
He's still very curious about the mask, since Rhys mentioning it might be a hint to where it came from, and so he'll return to that. But mentioning the body double program throws him more off guard, since that was still a new thing, for one, and two, noooot many people actually knew about "Jack." Part of him wants to deny it completely, since what's the point of having a body double if people know about him? Especially, you know. Crazyass dudes like this. But the way Rhys phrases it catches his attention a bit more. ]
Another? You, what, you think I have more than one? I mean. If I did. Theoretically. Goddammit.
[ Smooth, Jack. He curses into his towel again as he mulls it over in a brief silence, but... There's one possibility that comes to mind that's more born from that "weird horror movie" tangent he'd mentally gone on. His brow knits together, because even thinking of considering this, he feels like an idiot. It's stupid to consider it, but at the same time, there are things Rhys has mentioned offhandedly like they're fact that don't make sense. Athena getting married, Hyperion being no more, even talk of a mask and body doubles. ]
I- Hey, weird question, but. What year is it? Before, uh. You came here. Were brought here? Whatever.
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Okay, first of all. Let me see your nose, I can probably reset it. I'm so, so sorry, bro. Please don't kill me.
[ the plea kind of stumbles off naturally, without thinking because well -- that's just what he'd be saying to jack right now. offering his apologies and begging for his forgiveness. even if the jack he knew was an AI, the fact that this jack is physically here is enough to warrant any kind of humility he should probably have. at least, that's what rhys is thinking, even if he's not consciously aware of it.
he'll answer jack's questions too, feeling his own confusion in response to jack's. nothing he's said is out of the ordinary, personally, but now this conversation is taking a turn for the weird again and his eyebrows furrow, eyes narrowing slightly at jack. ]
Uh, yeah? You scattered them around for like, moral support or whatever. I think mmmmost of them are dead now? I don't know, it's been a while since I've spotted one in the wild.
[ he says it so casually like it's just part of daily life for him which, granted, it is. body doubles pop up around helios and other hyperion owned places a lot. most of them disappeared after jack's death but they were definitely a feature beforehand. sometimes it made it so you could never tell if the real jack was around either. kind of clever, rhys thought. ]
... The year? 2870, dude. How do you not know this?
[ seriously, weird question to ask unless -- did this jack think rhys was from the future? no, that's not possible. this has to just be some other planet, off of the borderworlds. something like that, right? ]
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Uh. Probably. You just said probably reset it. Also, what the hell, you're the one that broke it?
[ It's not a "no," since Jack doesn't know how to do it himself, that's for sure. But he's also not super keen on letting the guy that just broke it come put it back in place. There are a lot of problems with that idea, chief amongst them being that this guy is clearly crazy. It's at least becoming a more manageable crazy, though Jack's expression continues to just show open confusion as Rhys talks about body doubles how he does. There's a flicker again of that slight anger, since, yeah. They probably are all dead if you sent them into the planet, Rhys. But the fact that they exist at all apparently is at least enough to prevent Jack from getting angry again, since that's far more confusing than anything else.
Though of course, far more perplexing than that is the date that Rhys gives.
IS IT FIVE YEARS is it ten years like makes more sense??? it's a mystery and I'm not deciding, since either way, Jack's expression turns to surprise as he pulls the towel away from his nose. It's still bleeding, of course, but he's so surprised to hear the year that he's dropping the towel more to make sure his words aren't muffled. ]
Well. Because that's not what year it is? That's... [ He trails off, because even in his head, this sounds stupid. Even so, he says it, though it's reluctantly. ] That's kinda a few years ahead of me?
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then jack is questioning him about being able to reset his nose and that just throws him off completely and he lets out a strangled noise of... offense? and when he talks, it's clipped and harried and probably the completely opposite of what jack expects. ]
That's -- that's because I'm not a very secure person, Jack! And maybe I'm just offering because I feel bad about breaking your nose, huh? So, so -- so fuck you, if you're going to turn down my attempt to make this better because I just wanted to fix it because you have a really nice face and I don't want to be the one that fucked it up!
[ and he's so flustered by this little explosion of his that he turns a beet red and scrubs both of his hands through his hair while he fidgets in place for a bit. if jack's not going to let him fix his nose then, okay. fine. whatever!! he didn't even do anything wrong!
(he did so many things wrong today.)
then there's the confirmation that jack is... from the past? probably? oh god, oh man oh god oh man. that just messes rhys up a bit more and he flaps his hands a bit before speaking in a louder than necessary voice -- ]
Okay, fine! You're from the past then! You're -- you're Jack from before he went crazy and that. I don't know what that means. I don't know! It's a little overwhelming. So, I guess you wouldn't stab me in the back then, huh? You -- you're all. Nice and stuff now. A real hero. And you probably would strangle me less. And maybe we could be friends and not... whatever it was that we were because that went SO well the last time and I'm going to take a freggin' shower now, holy crap. This is too much to deal with.
[ halfway through that second rant there, rhys starts unbuckling his pants which means by the time he's finished, he's got them down his legs and is hopping up and down on one foot to tug off his sock. he's not looking at jack because he's still pretty damn flustered and on the very precipice of running away to not deal with this problem because rhys is a mature adult who handles his problems well. he's able to get off one of the socks at least and he'll just stand there for a moment in front of jack, clad in his underwear and one sock, hand holding the other and --
ah, yes. he's tearing up again. ]
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Okay, you're not wrong there. You did mess up my gorgeous face, which, rude, but. More was saying you broke it, so, y'know, letting you break it more to unbreak it is a trust exercise to the extreme that I'm not really feelin' right now. Nnnno offense?
[ Though even so, Jack is halfway considering accepting. It's probably good that he doesn't get the chance, because Rhys starts rambling again and also stripping. This was already weird, but it's just getting weirder. Jack holds up a hand and closes his eyes as he looks away, though it's not really out of modesty so much as incredulous that this is happening in the first place. ]
What- What is up with today? Cripes!
[ Though after just kind of speaking over Rhys for a moment there, Jack ends up making a more frustrated, pained noise right after, because, yeah, thanks for the confirmation, self. Still broken, still hurts. He opens his eyes again after cursing a few things under his breath, but he ends up just looking exasperated when he opens his eyes to see Rhys crying. Again. ]
Agh-- Seriously? Again? You. What. Just, seriously, what the hell. [ He really can't get a read on Rhys at all with how quickly his moods keep changing. That's really frustrating, honestly, because Jack has more or less made a living off of doing just that. It would be the same for Rhys, since that was the way of Hyperion, but these shifting, extreme emotions when combined with all of this information is overwhelming, even for a quick thinker like Jack. ]
Stop... crying? Please? I don't know why I'm the one saying this, considering you're the one starting shit, but. Y'know. Okay. Okay, so... There is kinda a lot to talk about here, uh, that's pretty obvious. But you're taking off your clothes now and making an already weird thing weirder, so, suggestion. Can we talk about this, I dunno, tomorrow? Or something?
[ He's half trying to escape this conversation and half genuinely just trying to deal with it. He knows that neither of them would be having a productive conversation right now, albeit for very different reasons. Rhys is naked and afraid, and Jack's nose needs to be tended to by someone, even if it's not Rhys. ]
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Fuck. Fuck! Sorry, I can't turn it off once it starts but that -- that's a good idea. Tomorrow, we can talk and I'll answer your questions or whatever and it'll give me time to, uh. Get it together.
[ he takes a shaky breath in, rubbing the back of his neck as he looks down to the tile. this really is too much for him to deal with and his heart hurts and he just feels like if he could explain to jack, maybe he'd understand? rhys can't be sure and now really isn't the time to explain but in a last ditch effort, he does say one thing. ]
... Just, it's been a while since I last saw you and I. Uh. I never really got to talk about it with anyone so, you gotta understand, it's a bit overwhelming! Ah... hahaha...
[ he laughs and it's weak and sad and he looks at jack for a long moment before shaking his head and moving to head into the stall. his shoulders are slumped and he's just so damn tired, tonight's been a wreck. from the stall, rhys'll call out rather weakly to jack -- ]
... Uhm. Please get your nose checked out when you can. If not me, anyone who you, uh, could trust or something. I still feel pretty bad about that.
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Y'think? Overwhelming is kinda...
[ Jack waves his hand vaguely, but he doesn't actually want to get into this right now. He heads to his shower stall to grab the clothes off of it, since there's really no point in showering now. He's probably just about to bleed more if he'll get this taken care of, so he just tugs his clothes into one arm, and the towel comes back up to his face to catch whatever blood may still be dripping out. He winces at the contact, but starts to walk away to leave, since he's essentially planning to leave it at just that.
Though when Rhys calls out to him, Jack glances back with a raised eyebrow before he scoffs. ]
That's the plan, ki— [ Jack catches himself, then sighs ] ...Sir. So, y'know, later.
[ He shakes his head, since he's truly not sure how to take that weak, guilty sort of concern. So he's fairly dismissive of it. If he had a hand free, he might raise it as a goodbye, but as is, his hands are full and he's not really feeling like giving Rhys that courtesy anyways. So without saying anything else, Jack leaves to go track someone down to help him out. ]