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Domestic

"Mm," was all he said for a while, focused on putting distance between them at the group. He'd grabbed a flashlight on the way out just in case, but out there the stars did a pretty good job of lighting up the landscape—and forcibly reminding him once again of how high up they were. Eventually Jack slowed so Chel didn't have to work as hard to keep up and sighed.

"Needed to get away," he explained, still a little muted, still forward gazing. "I don't transition well when it's with people." He stopped near a cliff edge, where one of the barrier daggers hummed quietly nearby, and stuffed his hands in his coat pockets to keep them warm. The view was plain (literally and figuratively), but the scope of it was what gave him pause.

"You've been doing alright with those daggers," Jack noted after another moment.

Domestic

"Welcome to the close range melee world, Chel, where there are disappointing limitations all around." Daggers were worse, though; at least his sword had a little reach. "Experience the joy of stabbing things while you still can," he told her with a glance. "At least that's very rewarding.

"But no, nothing happened back at base. Everyone just decided to go out on missions around the same time." He shrugged a little. "It gave me a chance to do things on my own. You forget how to work with a team after a while, that's all." Like he had ever been a real team player to begin with. "Well, that and everyone's annoying."

"It's a bow with pointy edges," Jack argued. "Not the same. And no, this is me directly saying I enjoyed the solitude. I got more done this week than I have in a while." The change of solitary work to a big group was just jarring, let alone with strangers and a way too chummy hunter.

He was mildly surprised at the offer and considered it. "Nah," Jack said after a while, starting them at a languid walk again. "We got debriefed by Jordan earlier. I still can't believe you got to meet the demon-ghost Nuba."

Domestic

Jack snorted and said, "It's the truth." Though he called it a small victory as well to cause the otherwise silent weapon to stir.

"Nuba was supposedly the daughter of the Yellow Emperor, one of the major players in the battle here. A drought demon, I believe? Jordan mentioned you broke a bridge taking it down." He side-eyed her as if silently chiding the wanton destruction, but he sounded mildly impressed. "Sounded like fun."

Domestic

"Yeah, and nearly killing yourself in the process I bet." He could only guess at how her shield was compromised thanks to that bracelet, but even at full strength a plummet was a risk.

Jack stopped them again and for the first time that day (and night), he turned to fully face Chel. A present. So she really didn't seem to be mad at him anymore. But he didn't know how to address what was ultimately a stupid thought, so he said instead, "Nice. Look, go back if you're that cold, Chel, I'll be fine on my own for a few more minutes." Though she couldn't possibly be that cozy with those bloodstained clothes.

Domestic

He scoffed, but he'd be lying if he said he didn't find a strange and small relief in the contact. It was something familiar and grounding, a reminder not to slip back into a stream of consciousness as he had been doing so much of lately. And while Jack was a little awkward at first on principle, the usual stiffness abated; he was even smiling a little, if that wasn't a trick of the starlight.

"No, that was more like a one. This," he wiggled their arms as if trying to shake her off, "is more like a three. What's the question?"

Domestic

The action gave him pause, but the question didn't.

"I plead the fifth."