|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Sat Feb 28, 2015 1:13 pm
Funny. "Funny," he echoed with a strange look. Funny.
He stepped closer, angled in such a way that he was partially cutting off her escape route. Jack didn't have the skills to read people emotionally anywhere near as well as Chel did, but he recognized the telltale signs of a flight response. Distantly Owain pleaded him to stop as he noted the budding tears.
"How's this funny, Chel?" he asked sharply. "I'm trying to be reasonable, trying to understand what the ******** the problem is and how to work with it, and here you are acting like a goddamn b***h about it. Maybe if you stopped ******** running off every time s**t got difficult, you wouldn't have so many ******** issues."
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Feb 28, 2015 1:25 pm
Chel's face tightened, hardened. Jack never got this face, but there were some things that were over the line.
She spoke slowly, trying to balance her anger with Jack's desire to understand. "I am not a test subject." It was coupled with a shove to his chest. Chel could move monsters and more, but she'd never be able to shove Jack hard enough to move him. She just didn't have it in her. "I'm sorry I have ********' issues okay! I'm sorry for existin'! Apologies for everything!"
Jack was making it so she couldn't leave, so after the shove she gave up trying. She paced to his bed and sat down, pulling her knees up in a stubborn sort of strike. "But what do you know about runnin'? Huh? You ever sat and done a workbook you can't read for 5 hours a day, six days a week and then get told you ain't workin' hard enough? You ever sit in a clinic and watch them talk about what they gonna put in you just to come out stupid on the other end anyways? Huh? ******** you. An internet search doesn't make you a ********' expert."
Her mind was racing, jumping to Evan, then Dawson; it was happening again, wasn't it?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Feb 28, 2015 1:58 pm
The shove had him immediately tensing, fists balled and expression darkening, a scorpion whose tail was poised to strike. The words don't you ever ******** touch me like that were on his tongue. But she didn't try to move past him. Chel just retreated to his bed while his partner continued his steady stream of bullshit, and as it mixed with other repressed thoughts and shitty sleep and stress of his own, Jack snapped. He yanked the bracer off and threw it across the room, satisfied with the sound it made as it hit the door.
Was that what was going to happen anytime he actually tried to help someone? Ungrateful pieces of s**t. Wasn't he approaching this like anyone would? Isolating the problem, understanding the problem, and then offering solutions? But ******** him if it came on too strong for her tastes, right? ******** him for trying to care in his own way.
He stared at the spot his totem struck, took a breath, unclenched his fists, and then turned his glare back to her. "Don't," he said slowly, "put words in my mouth, Chel. Don't you ******** start acting like a child when I'm trying to help, don't ********> the s**t your parents did onto me, or whatever it is you're doing. You wanted to talk instead? ******** talk then, but don't pull that bullshit with me."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Feb 28, 2015 2:09 pm
Chel tried to stay calm. She took a deep breath, knocked her hands against her head a few times. If only she hadn't been born with this brain. If only her way of thinking hadn't been a cosmic joke to the world. Every time she pulled on her hair to catch her breath it just made her eyes water a little bit more. She wasn't quite crying yet (she refused), but Jack wasn't making it any easier.
She made a silent plea to Merlin. He hadn't answered her for some time, but she still had to try.
"Don't leave me too," she said quietly. "I know you're tryin'."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Feb 28, 2015 2:14 pm
"What are you talking about?" he asked. "What does that have to do with anything?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Feb 28, 2015 2:44 pm
"I know it doesn't make sense to you why I'm actin' like this, 'specially when you were researchin' yer a** off." She wanted to move and rescue poor Owain from the ground, but she was afraid of moving. "S'why you're pissed. Evan did the same thing. That's why I'm askin' you not to leave." Slow deliberate words to explain herself and defuse the situation. She didn't want to yell anymore. She was too tired for that.
Instead she gestured that Jack should join her. She didn't like this tense atmosphere. She was angry, but she didn't like being at odds with Jack. The last time that'd happened she'd had a plate smashed over her head.
She put a hand to her face to wipe her cheek and part of her eye. "I'll tell you anythin'- I'll even do a stupid worksheet, just come sit over here with me first."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Feb 28, 2015 3:03 pm
He was resistant to the idea of getting near her at first; Jack had wanted an excuse to continue acting out, to stand tall and ready to strike out. But she seemed to be conceeding, and so after a moment he took a seat on the bed opposite Chel. It was clear, though, that his patience was forced.
"What's your goddamn problem?" he prompted.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Feb 28, 2015 3:27 pm
She blew a long breath of air out of her nose. She could have run there and then. The door wasn't that far and Jack wasn't blocking her anymore.
It took her a second until she remembered the water bottle he'd thrown away. She leaned over the edge of the bed until she could pick the bottle out of the trash. In the same motion, she turned on a light because it was too dark in here for anything else. "I have no ********' clue what these letters are," she began, "I can't make heads or tales of 'em. It'd take me like a minute to figure it out." Then she pointed to the blueish scales that littered the logo. "But I know this blue color, and Dasani's the only company that puts little scales on it. Crystal Geyser's got red s**t. Aquafina got them little mountains." She tossed the bottle back in the trash. "I found my own way to figure out what all this s**t says. Been doin' it for 19 years. I like juice so much 'cause they put the fruit on the damn box."
She leaned over Jack despite herself. She'd become good at defusing these situations. As best she could with Jack anyways. "So when someone comes in tellin' me I'm doin' it wrong- I know dude. I know I am. It comes at me every day. I got lots of people remindin' me." whereas your friend tweets day in and day out and can't memorize where the W and M keys are. "But it don't make me wanna do it your way. I tried doin' it your way. I mean ******** if you want me to do another goddamn worksheet I will Jack. I'd do anything if y'asked me to. It's just that I know- I mean like I really know- it won't change anythin'." That would have been where some mentor came in- "it will change, just give it some time! Keep working hard, you can do it!" "I don't wanna change no more. I just want to be how I am without havin' to fix it."
There was more she had to say but she wanted to provide a pause for Jack's input.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Feb 28, 2015 3:37 pm
When the lights came on unexpectedly, he groaned and rubbed at his eyes, reduced to squinting at Chel in irritation until he was used to it again. He said nothing when she paused, introspective, annoyed, and waiting for either more words or further accusations.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Feb 28, 2015 3:52 pm
She really wished Jack would have said something. If he was angry or accepting or something she would have known how to hold herself. Instead she got his pensive, in between stare.
"I'm okay with Rep and s**t givin' me a hard time 'cause they don't know me and they don't got no right to be makin' comments. But I can't hear it comin' from you Jack. I just can't. S'too much. I'll get off twitter and write my own reports and never bring it up again ever if that's what it takes man. M'sorry."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Feb 28, 2015 4:06 pm
He gave a short, exasperated sigh. "You're the one who flew off the handle, Chel. I don't know why you're acting like I'm making some ******** campaign against you," he began. "All I did was offer suggestions, Jesus Christ; wasn't aware you already did this whole song and dance. You wanna stay on Twitter and not bother with any of this s**t, then whatever. Done."
Taking his glasses off, Jack closed his eyes and pressed his thumb to his temple while he rubbed at his eyelid some more with the beginnings of a scowl. "Just quit ******** apologizing for every single god damn thing in your life."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Feb 28, 2015 4:16 pm
"I feel like I have to if yer gonna throw Owain around n' get mad whenever I tell you no." She stuck out her tongue, but moved closer, going behind him and wrapping her legs around his torso. Her hands started moving along his back, an unprofessional massage. She didn't ask for permission for these things anymore. There was nothing behind the motion; he looked like he needed a massage and she had two hands.
She sighed into his shoulderblades and said, "I shouldn'ta put that all on you. Yer just ..." She coughed lightly and spoke in a quiet voice. "Yer really important to me, so I didn't want you treatin' me different too." Massage temporarily stopped as she put her cheek on his backside. "S'been a long week."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Feb 28, 2015 4:29 pm
He bristled as she drew near, a defensive posture that didn't stop as she touched him. Chel didn't ask permission, but it was his way of saying she was allowed in regardless. Jack clung to his irritation with her because it was better than just giving it up, no matter how tired he was.
"That wasn't..." He trailed off with another soft curse as he dug his thumb in too deep. "Don't flatter yourself. It was about different s**t. ******** this week."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Feb 28, 2015 4:34 pm
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Feb 28, 2015 4:44 pm
"Nothing," he grumbled. A lot. "Just thought I'd smash my eye into jelly and ******** fix this headache manually." Jack rubbed his face gingerly and gave up.
He tilted his head back, feeling the crick in it acutely. "Going back to the Sahara in a few days. Apparently Caelius wants his own clone to adopt."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
