Stranger times (Jack)

[Aaron H]

Password...

Kin3tic42

Password incorrect.

Kin3tic42

Password incorrect.

"WHAT THE HELL?" Aaron shouted at the computer, before he pounded the keys with the same letters and numbers for the next two minutes. It was wrong.. someone had fucked with his passwords. There was only one person who could have done it.. statistically thinking. Now before he threw accusations around, he'd have to probe him a little.. this would be fun. Jack wasn't exactly someone to piss off, so Aaron HAD to wonder what he'd done this time.

Just for the hell of it, he tried: KIN3TIC42 but, of course, that was wrong too. A man could hope. So now, Aaron was locked out of his own computer, with hopes that his friend would help him sneak back in. There was the problem, however, of TELLING Jack that he'd locked himself out of his own computer. Oh, he'd never hear the end of it. Red flooded into his cheek. There was just something about being teased by Jack that just- made Aaron so flustered. Even thinking about the older days when Jack did the same old bully routines, Aaron could handle it better than most. He was just enduring of the man. In fact, Aaron enjoyed Jack's strange brand of affection. Was it even considered affection? The thought went through his mind and Aaron dismissed it. This wasn't something he liked to debate on. Feelings were complex and hard to understand by even experts, so why should he bother. No matter what, Aaron trusted Jack with his life anyways.

Jack may not have been the nicest man, but he had his own.. soft side. Of course Aaron would never say that out loud. There were a lot of things Aaron would never admit to thinking, but for now, he was just full of annoyance at his computer. How could he last? His hand ran over the scruff of his chin and then swiped up his phone. He'd just chill and play a game for now. The time ticked by and Aaron simply sat there, reclining with a game in his hand and a coffee in his other. As was typical, he had a bendy straw to his lips. Some quirks may have been strange, but they were just him.

[Guest]

"Had enough yet?" Narrowed azure eyes filed across the room to Aaron, hands lightly on his hips. "I figured you'd call, but from the looks of it you're just playing a game on your phone instead. You know, that could be potentially dangerous. What kind of information do you have stowed on your computer? Anyone could be eating it up right now and you're just sitting there playing tetris. How does that make you feel? You didn't even think to mention it or anything? It could be hours, days, months of you sitting there playing tetris until you run out of coffee. How have you even survived until now? I don't know how much coffee you keep around, but you just made a fresh pot. Well, those bastards are making a fresh pot of coffee out of your security clearance. How do you like that? You're so lucky I just happened to hack into your computer to steal your Netflix account because seriously, we're fucked. By the way, your door was unlocked. Hope you don't mind I didn't bother knocking, thinking you had already passed out from the sheer horror..." Orange hair in face, Jack bent over and plucked the straw right out of Aaron's coffee as he would a buttercup from the earth. He shook the bangs out of the way as he rose back to his full height, holding the plastic tube up to his chin. He bent it in half, leaving a circle indent behind on his skin. All the while, his careless droopy eyes never left Aaron's. He wouldn't even comment. The straw was discarded into the nearby waste bin. Reason why his chin acted as his other hand was because his other hand was full with a massive dufflebag. Another bag was over his shoulder. He couldn't be bothered with putting it down right there just to pick it up again. The bag itself, despite it's massive size, was leaking an onslaught of wires all over the place. All different kinds of wires. It's weight was obvious from how the taller man listed a bit to one side, muscles tightly bulged in effort. He looked exhausted.

"Oh right," he seemed to just notice the bag himself, "I'm staying over. This will probably take some time. Here's to hoping. If the information was already spread, we're screwed. Might take longer than one night. I hope you have cereal or something. I'm kind of hungry." He looked down at himself and back at Aaron like a starved man. When was the last time he ate?! It was probably like an hour ago or something ridiculous. He was sitting down to watch some show about Space Cowboys when he discovered this horrible disservice to the Cretan Government, thus forcing him to rush over before he could entirely devour his bowl of kettle corn. God forbid. Now he thirsted--thirsted for something sweet and crunchy like cereal. See, he made sense. Just out of context, not really. Aaron probably thought he was crazy by now. But for a guy that drove off the side of a crater to join his wife in death, yeeeah. That was a long time ago, and he wasn't thinking about that now. Shut the case.

"I was taking it easy today, but we don't have a choice, man. We have to get started right away. Point me in the direction of your electric outlets. And give me an extra pillow. Today's not good so we kinda hafta keep the stress low despite what I suspect is happening." He paced to the side, scanning the wall for a place to plug in. "But you know not to panic." He slid down his bag next to an outlet and dug out a powerstrip, plugging that in with a jolt. Clapping his hands together with a wry smirk, Jack looked his partner up and down. "Shall we get started?"

[Aaron H]

And thus it began. Jack was telling him off for what felt like a century. Well, that told him what he needed, but it wasn't like he could say anything until Jack was done. However after the first section of his little rant, Aaron couldn't help but slip a slightly annoyed response.

"Hope you don't mind I didn't bother knocking, thinking you had already passed out from the sheer horror..."

"When'd you become my wife?" His voice was in the usual bored and nearly sarcastic way he always had. It wasn't as much rude as it was his 'Okay, I get the point' response. It wasn't like he wasn't going to tell Jack. He actually just had the feeling that it HAD been him and hence he didn't worry that much. After all, even if Jack HAD destroyed his computer, it was just- him.. Aaron couldn't pin it, because it was just the sort of bond they had, or at least what he felt. He wondered at times if it had to do with his sin. AND that was a topic that he didn't want to venture into for long. His head was hurting from Jack's introduction via NAGGING, but again, some things were better left unsaid. Besides, it was good to know he cared.. kinda.?Though his concern was m,ore of kicking Aaron in the ass.

And there went his straw. Their eyes were on each other as people would for a staring contest. His lips parted to speak, but Aaron decided against it. Some things people couldn't stand and for some reason, Jack hated when Aaron consumed his coffee through a straw. It didn't however stop Aaron from pouting. It was ALMOST as bad as being told no coffee.. speaking of which his cup was getting rather empty anyways. "I'm staying over. This will probably take some time. Here's to hoping. If the information was already spread, we're screwed. Might take longer than one night. I hope you have cereal or something. I'm kind of hungry." Aaron sighed and nodded. With a gentle grunt, he pushed himself out of his seat and looked towards his couch. This meant he'd be using the fuuton again, because he'd be damned to make Jack sleep on that piece of shit.

"But you know not to panic. Shall we get started?" His eyes flashed with an almost excitement. Aaron stretched, not bothering to tell Jack where the outlets were, since he'd already found them. God, sometimes that energy he gave off was like a hurricane. Concern flashed in Aaron's own mind, but he didn't mention anything, because the responses were usually the same and told him not to bother. So. instead, he sauntered into the kitchen, grabbed a box of cereal from his cupboard and poured himself more coffee. When he returned, he set both things down (with his straws hidden in his pocket) and he fell back into his seat. He wasn't exactly sure what to say, so he tugged his good laptop into his lap. "Did you at least shut the door behind you. The last thing I want is more unexpected company."

He paused a moment and mumbled into his coffee, half trying to avoid more venom from his best friend. "Also 'Hi Jack, it's nice to see you.'" He sighed heavily as his laptop started slowly.

[Guest]

"When'd you become my wife?" irked something in Jack. It was like asking him why his hair was orange or why his birthday was in February. It just didn't make any sense and was highly inconceivable. Jackyll Marques was of a fairly decent build. He was twenty-eight physically, but was definitely a year older in mind. In a sense, he was lucky for that. In others, he was off balance. Regardless, he wore size nine shoes and got them shined on Sundays at the mall because they had the best cronies for the job. Jack was male. Being someone's wife was nigh on impossible unless he got a gender change. It wasn't happening if he had anything to say about it. Male through and through, he entered Aaron's apartment with intention. It would be hard to find any women with that kind of drive. And if he did, damn, he'd be luckier than Jack by a long shot. Still, being called his wife was strangely uplifting. They had returned to a place where Aaron fought back if even a little. Before, it was just a one-sided messed up bully eats bullied. No fun in that. And besides, this body wasn't even his own. But it was like...he couldn't even remember what he looked like before. The images were just lost. Funny, how being called a wife brought on those kinds of thoughts. What would Kamilla say to that, he wondered. Probably just laugh and call him a downer for thinking of her instead of just laughing like a fool with no name.

That was Aaron's way of saying 'alright, I get the point', meaning he could shut up now. But of course, Jack didn't take the bait and continued on. Sometimes he got lost in his own words. Did he always talk this much or was it something gradually new? He'd ask, but it'd bring up the subject they had carefully avoided for the past three(?) years. He didn't keep track of the time. It was better just to let it pass. Let it pass so he wouldn't think about driving his car off the side of a crater even if this was the second time he thought about it in the past five minutes. God, when would he ever catch a break from his own blasted mind?! But he was trapped--trapped in here eternally. Not that he was complaining, but he really did feel trapped. It was comfortable for the most part, but it felt more like driving a vehicle than existing in a body like he used to--like most people did. His soul was pinned via tack to this body. Along with it came all the ailments associated with Didier Marques, including the occasional memory that landed him as an ex-actor and now...what was he? Aaron could answer that: Cretan militant wife of Aaron Hartman, CEO of Labrose Industries, famous, rich, and other shit. Here he was! Flesh and blood. Applause please?

Instead of a crowd of people rushing in to worship him, Aaron came back with coffee and a box of cereal. "I wonder what cereal would taste like with coffee in it," he murmured to himself suddenly. He expected the quirky what-the-fuck-are-you-talking-about look from Aaron that he usually got, but instead of responding, he just took the box of cereal and began chowing down dry. "We can make a grocery run later. It's better to start now before things get even more serious. Like they might find out all the names and addresses of the current Royal Guards or something. I don't know exactly what you keep on your computer, but it's theirs now. Bastards. Don't worry, we'll get revenge." Aaron flopped into a chair nearby, but Jack was sitting on the floor looking up at him like a toddler wanting to play with toys. His friend had a laptop in his lap. Jack could only pray that one wasn't hacked too. He began setting up his own computer system which involved wires and screens and fancy light fixtures. He turned a key in one of the slots at one point, activating a low hum of activation. It was fairly prehistoric and kind of makeshift, but the shit he threw together right then and there would definitely solve their problem especially if he used alchemy. That magic was always the go-to. He was kind of reliant in a way. He was running on it right now actually. Anyway, the tower of gadgets was kind of coming together as he expected, but there were a few flaws he hadn't factored in.

"Did you at least shut the door behind you. The last thing I want is more unexpected company."

Crunch. He swallowed. "Huh?" Oh, the door--the front door of his place. Wait, did he? "I think so. Don't really remember. You might want to lock it or something. But I doubt anyone else would just waltz in. Not that I waltzed. It was more like stumbled. Those bags were heavy as fuck. I still feel all achy. Wait, maybe I didn't close it then. It was kinda hard. But I wouldn't have just left it open. Maybe check? Oh, and do you have an extra keyboard? I forgot mine. Not that mine would probably even hook up to this hunk of metal. I need wires not wireless. Most of my stuff is wireless now-a-days. It's convenient, but not for occasions like this. Actually I probably should have called you and had you just come over to my place, but this is easier anyway because your computer is within shot for transmuting." Thinking out loud again, Jack went back to the set up of his little uncanny invention that he was making on the spot right now. He'd call it... something creative. He wasn't of the mind to come up with something like that just yet. It was more important to protect their country's security at the moment actually.

"Also 'Hi Jack, it's nice to see you.'" He looked up, fairly bewildered. It showed all over his face and his hands stilled. Had he--had he really forgotten to say hi!? The most basic of human interactions was lost to him in plight of this potential disaster! His jaw dropped slightly, long bangs falling over his nose. The rest was pulled up in a high pony tail, his hands afitted with fingerless gloves to collect grease. He was picturesque of deer in headlights at that very moment, and there was only one person on earth who had the ability to place Jack in that situation. At a loss for words, he threw a hand behind his head and rubbed. Idiot. That was the first thing he should have said. They were entirely too close. Maybe that was the flaw in his lack of humanly greeting. Still, it was to be expected as it was with anyone. But who typically lets themselves into other people's homes? Maybe he was just too entirely worried about the overall situation that he had forgotten to greet his friend. Or maybe it was that he really just wanted to eat something sweet and crunchy. But none of that carried the same weight as their faulty, weird relationship that usually involved Aaron pointing something out that completely confounded him... He was over analyzing it and he knew it. Aaron just knew how to get under his skin, and had 100% succeeded.

"Is it nice to see me?" Revenge was sweet.

[Aaron H]

There was a silence. An awkward silence to Aaron where his friend turned a nice shade of pale. It wasn't the reaction he had expected, but it was oddly satisfactory.

"Is it nice to see me?" A pause. Aaron had to catch his breath, because he wasn't sure what to say. How was he to portray that he did enjoy seeing Jack despite the fact he simultaneously wanted to beat his head off a wall. Why was it that they were friends? When had he become so attached to the same boy who used to terrorize him in school. At what point had Jack become such an important person in his life... also why did it matter. Obsessive compulsive thoughts were irritating as ever to him. It was better just to dismiss troubling thoughts.

"Yes. You're just a wonderful piece of eye candy." Aaron murmured again. It was his normal way, where he didn't know if he was joking or not. Instead of sitting, though, he had to get up. It was a moment that he left his computer at the mercy of Jack. Naturally, this was a large hop for the 'hermit' man. His contacts burnt his eyes slightly. A moment passed and his vision blurred. Great.. a temporary headache.. likely from stress. It still didn't stop him from panicking a second and losing his balance. Soon.. soon it would all be gone. His vision was biding its time for the least opportune moment to cut out and Aaron knew it, but no one else did. No one else was supposed to. Some burdens were better held upon a single man's shoulders. He could deal with it when the day came.

However, he needed to bluff and cover for his stumble IF Jack had noticed. "Got up too fast." Which was likely a contributing factor. He didn't mention a thing, but he figured Jack knew where he was going. Funny how little someone was able to talk and still transfer everything necessary.

After making sure his door was locked, he returned to the man in his house. With a single, swift movement, Aaron pulled a straw out of his pocket and simply chewed on it thoughtfully. It was one of those few minutes he debated smoking. Now wasn't the time. Chewing on the straw would have to distract him. "Alright, now that this is all set.." He plopped onto his swivel chair and looked thoughtful, but did not continue his sentence. Just another way to mess with Jack.

[Guest]

The silence was wasted--blasted away as if it had no meaning whatsoever. This happened often--relative to the entire situation--meager beyond what words could discuss. Because they didn't let them. Why? Jack was unsure for the most part; he just couldn't bring himself to give voice to a tragedy he was sure he could repeat. Not that he was going to or even wanted to, but some things just weren't easy to talk about. Aaron was Aaron; there was no changing him, and he definitely wasn't a conversation starter. Usually. "Yes. You're just a wonderful piece of eye candy" was the epilogue to their exchange. Nothing more could be insinuated or dragged out, carefully balanced on a thin sheet of ice that would never see spring. The season was overrated anyway. He let it slide, ending the dialogue sequence with a wink of his eye. It was enough to tack on to the joke, but not too much to add further inquiry. It was better left buried, in the dirt, unavailable. Like he'd like to make Aaron's computer systems. When he was done, the guy would have so much padding that the insane asylums would be jealous.

Aaron moved, which was one thing to gap at (like koalas in the zoo), and another to take advantage of. Practically dive-bombing the laptop, he had it cracked and running in only a few short seconds, hacking into the systems main drive, and tearing out all the seams to see who's riddled with it (besides him). Well, the results weren't satisfactory. "Aaron," he barked after him, stopping just when he noticed the stumble out of the corner of his eye.

"Got up too fast." It was immediately accredited to the lack of nutrition and overabundance of coffee in the lean man's system, which by Jack's standards, was very okay. Right now, not so much.

"We really do need to go hit up groceries or something, don't we. How long's it been since you last ate?" There was no need to mention his own obsessive compulsive tendencies and the last date in which he ate because that was just unfair and hypocritical. He cringed at the thought of being accused of such a fallacy, but went on (like usual). "Never mind. Your computer has had 23 attacks in the last 47 seconds. Information is being extracted right and left. Do you even have security on here or are they just that good? Scratch that. They can't even be considered good in plight of how much I'm about to tear them to shreds. Whatever they do manage to obtain, I can destroy anyway so long as it's all traceable by satellite. If they have enough time to transfer it somewhere and stick it on a USB, then we're fucked. Go, go close the door; I'll work on closing this one." He tapped a few keys, scrutinizing Aaron's retreating back to make sure he really wasn't just bluffing about getting up too fast. He had his suspicions, but no evidence to base it on. What if his head really did get fucked up in the crash? He always wondered that, yet at the same time, this wasn't even his fucking head, so how? Muffled memories like the images of himself, twisted recollections of what was in the mirror, the sound of the engine stalling on impact... all muddled in the transfer of his soul? The glasses just didn't add up. Man had perfect sight.

The door closed. On the case he failed to solve, on Aaron's apartment, and on this loser's shabby hack job. Now they just needed to clean up the messes. "Alright, now that this is all set..."

"I can't believe you keep straws in your pockets." He shook his head, entirely too baffled and bothered by what he just witnessed. Perhaps the most horrifying event of today. Maybe of the whole week. "Please don't do that." The year. "You're ruining them for me. You know, I never used to have a problem with straws. Now I can't stand them. I can't even look at them. Just the thought makes my hair stand on end. I think...maybe I should see a psychiatrist. Would you call one for me?" A snarky smile drifted onto his lips, but all the while he kept typing on the man's laptop, transferring control of the keyboard over to his connected device.

[Aaron H]

For the flicker of a moment, he thought it had been all unraveled, but it was just a simple question.

"I can't believe you keep straws in your pockets." Did he see ALL of them? Aaron looked at Jack from the corner of his eyes. "Please don't do that." Aaron secretly grinned. Sometimes it was simply fun to irk his friend. At the same time it was irritating to have to try and control urges and at times he just needed to chew on something. He could still have a smoke maybe, but that was again, too obvious. It was something noticeable, more than the straws. Frustration.

"You're ruining them for me. You know, I never used to have a problem with straws. Now I can't stand them. I can't even look at them. Just the thought makes my hair stand on end. I think...maybe I should see a psychiatrist. Would you call one for me?"

And there he went again. On about how Aaron's bad habits were going to land him in therapy. Out of everything in the world that Aaron could do to put someone in a mental institute, chewing on a straw was not one of them. He had no real response at first, but he thought of one. Aaron moved again, this time leaning over Jack's shoulder to watch him type. His response was simple. "No amount of therapy is going to help you after I'm done with these straws. It was my plan all along." And that was Aaron's attempt at making a joke. It was dumb and most people would probably give him the creepiest look, but he flashed a some-what smile to Jack which was a rarity on its own.

Jack was having a field day in taking care of Aaron's computer, so on the off chance anything else happened, Aaron started up his phone. He scrolled through the apps and made sure to check it for any hacking, any spying or ANYTHING out of the ordinary. No, he wanted to make sure that he wasn't screwing up anything else. It DID however fill up with 80 texts from Rachel and Tsuritsa which was annoying as hell. He then had to scroll and make sure everything was alright and was further annoyed that Tsuritsa was texting him in binary. It was harder to read when you had to try and figure out what it said.

"But, if that's what you really need, I can always call." And there went to passive side again. He DID care about Jack. It was always good to make sure of he was joking or not. Aaron was pretty sure though, that Jack's psychiatrist would need as shrink as well.

[Guest]

There Jack was minding his own business (not in the least) when over his shoulder came a voice. Now, this voice he heard all the fucking time (in his nightmares), and god forbid he had to hear it when he was awake. Only, the problem with this was, the words in which that voice spoke. Normally, it wouldn't be such an issue, however, considering the content, it was definitely an issue--issue enough to stop his hands from typing. Slowly, he turned his head, azure eyes wide from beneath a sheen of orange hair. "No amount of therapy is going to help you after I'm done with these straws. It was my plan all along." Jack's what!?-look slowly transitioned into something dark and incomprehensible as he grabbed Aaron's collar and pulled the man ever the more closer. The scary look on his face only got graver.

"'Ho?" His fingers coiled around the man's chin, his lips parted as he leaned in, showing his teeth to Aaron's half-assed smile.

"But, if that's what you really need, I can always call." He had his phone out and was scrolling through whatever Aaron scrolled through. Jack ignored him, snatching the straw right from Aaron's mouth with his own. Clutching it with his jaw, Jack began to laugh evilly, holding his hands out like some overlord in a Disney movie. In fact, he kind of looked like that creepy mother fuckin' owl from Rock-a-Doodle (which wasn't really a Disney movie, but whatever). He chewed on the straw for a second before giving his victory speech.

"I believe that is my line." Except it was muffled do to said straw. He spit it out to the side before continuing. "These things are made out of plastic. You're going to get cancer or whatever. Don't you know about the plastic continent in the ocean and shit? It's the size of Carraig! We could technically live on top of plastic. The fish are eating little plastic fragments and are dying. And the ones that live are going to kill us. All the straws you use go to that effort of slowly killing marine life. You throw it in the trashcan, but where does it go? Ever wonder that, hm?" He freed Aaron from his grasp, continuing to type as he spoke. What could he say, multitasking was a talent. "You keep using straw after straw, and while you are already chewing the tar out of them and getting cancer yourself, you're also killing the environment by throwing it away. At least use those glass straws. It's like water bottles. You're drinking water, but the plastic around the water has already polluted it. I swear this government, well, most governments are trying to kill us. I won't let them get away with this. We need to act now before this shit gets out of hand, ya hear me?" He shifted the laptop on his lap, feeling it getting hot. But he was almost done anyway. The device he had set up was almost entirely calibrated at this point. All he had to do was channel some good ole fashioned alchemy into the system, and tear out the binary of these poor fuckers. Then they could go food shopping in peace.

"You know, it still feels weird speaking Amestrian in Creta."

[Aaron H]

Jack's face was.. to say the least, terrifying. Aaron tried his best not to seem scared shitless when his friend grabbed him by the collar and smirk evilly at him. It took a lot of effort to look unaffected by such an action, but to be truthful, Aaron was terrified and he didn't know why. Partly he was unsure how to react with Jack so invasive on his personal space. Aaron had a bubble and Jack was very carelessly invading it. Why the hell was he cupping his chin?! Aaron was frozen like a deer in the headlights; too frightened to move. And then.. he plucked the straw out with his own mouth. Well there went Aaron's defiance right down the drain. He couldn't help but turn scarlet, though. He couldn't exactly place the reason, but his eyes closed and he groaned as if in pain.

Then came another lecture.

Yes. Aaron's habit was apparently terrible and killing the economy. So.. he gave up and sighed. Chewing on glass straws didn't exactly seem a great idea, seeing as Jack liked to scare Aaron and that would make him clench. The thought of thousands of tiny glass pieces tearing into his mouth made the hermit shutter and grimace. Good things Jack and Aaron were on better terms than grade school. Aaron was pretty sure Jack would have MADE him chew on it to see him bleed. On a side note.. how was a straw going to lead to cancer? He didn't really question it, but accepted it.

"You know, it still feels weird speaking Amestrian in Creta."

Relief. Something that they could talk about that didn't involve his apparent cancer, Aaron fixed his collar and leaned on the chair Jack was in. "Why? Last time I spoke Cretan, you said my accent drove you crazy." Aaron shrugged his shoulders and sipped his coffee like a normal person without a straw. It wasn't as fun as using a straw, but Hell, at least Jack couldn't yell at him about THAT. Not like Aaron really minded. Most of the stuff Jack said didn't particularly bother him.. except that face. God when Jack got too close Aaron felt his internal shields go up and systems went haywire because well- Why WAS that? It was weird. Though Jack was probably as close to the hermit as anyone could get. After all, normally even being as close as they were at the moment wasn't even in the question. He just couldn't handle people getting too close. That took chance at people hurting him or even him hurting others. Aaron tried his best to NOT affect a person's life.. but Jack was different. Strange how the one that nagged him was the one he stuck around.

"So. What exactly am I putting on the grocery list?" Aaron sat beside one of his old pieces of useless junk and began tinkering, because unknown to most people he DID have ADHD, which made it impossible for him to just sit around and do nothing.

[Guest]

Aaron looked like a tomato. Not those normal tomatoes--they were too red--the sun-washed orangey yellow red-colored ones that looked more natural to be a skin tone. No one actually turned as red as a tomato unless they were choked to death or something. And that was overrated anyhow. More importantly was how deer-in-headlights Aaron was at this particular moment. Savor it because he was trying so hard to keep his cool. Aw, too bad it was lost now. Jack was malicious, heartless, cruel, and loving every moment of it. His petrified friend (now scarred for life) was a bucket of tomato juice outside in the hot sun. Now that was more original. He could laugh, except he found it cute. The thought itself was mildly amusing inside his constantly shifting brain, and took on a strange effect in himself. Stomping hard on the straw and smooshing it into the carpet, he began to effectively swirl on Aaron's swivel chair like a child. That surge of energy had to be extorted somehow, and his typing fingers just weren't cutting it.

For a brief moment, he was lost in his own little world. Thinking while also thinking. He was good at that. He was processing binary and other shit--hacking and gouging out wannabe's eyes whilst, well, thinking about Aaron. He was invading the man's privacy (not like that was something new or anything), but it was different somehow. And it wasn't the fact that half Jack's organs were made out of metal. He sighed and was about to glance up when he felt a weight lean into the chair, causing it to slide a bit nearer to the desk. Jack stuck out a leg to stop it nonchalantly and looked back with stretched blue eyes.

"Why? Last time I spoke Cretan, you said my accent drove you crazy."

"Yeah, because it reminds me of home," he blurted out without thinking. If only someone could take back words. Time machine pl0x? He shed a dirty smile and covered his guilty face with the laptop monitor, lost in a muffling of text, letters, numbers... He only heard his heart beat hammering in his ears, mechanical, hard, deep, artificial, reminding him again. A cold sweat laced about his spine, climbing up the rungs with unclipped nails. The heart pounding, changing, uneven, murmuring, ebbing pain on the tail end.

"So. What exactly am I putting on the grocery list?" A line--a safety net--S.O.S. Jack took his first breath in what felt like five minutes, dilated pupils creeping up over the laptop. He was okay.

"Give me a second--feeling kind of faint." A bit wobbly on the chair, white knuckles were clutching the edge of the desk just briefly as it passed. So close. Again, so close to another attack. The moment he let his pulse go up--the moment he gave in, it all went to shit. He'd be hospitalized...or dead (usually not the ladder). Still, the sheer cold trill of shock rolled all over him and left him there, dented. "Uhhmm...cranberry juice--you like cranberry juice? It's good for you or something I heard. Maybe cook something--steak? Ribs maybe..." He was frazzled--out of sorts, trying to hide its clarity with dialogue that made it more apparent the harder he tried.

[Aaron H]

"Give me a second--feeling kind of faint."  Aaron was going to do- something.  He wasn't sure what he was going to do, but oddly his friend saying he was faint warranted Aaron gripping his arm and looking concerned.  Really what else was there.  Aaron was more panicking, while trying to look calm and collected.  If he needed to, he'd willingly sacrifice more just to keep Jack around, but there was only so much before he'd be dead himself.  It wasn't something he'd hesitate doing, but he wasn't exactly READY to just up and sacrifice his body to the unknown force in the world and Heavens.  ..no.. what he had experienced wasn't even heaven.

"Uhhmm...cranberry juice--you like cranberry juice? It's good for you or something I heard. Maybe cook something--steak? Ribs maybe..."  Yeah, something was wrong.  Aaron furrowed his brow, not really understanding how to talk.  That had always been a problem with Aaron.  He just couldn't comprehend social situations, but it seemed with Jack he always looked like a fool.  So what did one more time matter?

"Jack, what's wrong?"  He shifted some where he stood, then crouched down to look his friend in the eyes.  His dark brown eyes just burrowed with suspicion.  How could it be the two of them were friends and yet Aaron always noticed a sort of awkward wall there, all the time.  Everyone had secrets, but there was more than just an elephant in the room.  There was no malice, but rather sincerity that Aaron wanted to know how he could help and was as usual, completely lost.

After an awkward moment, Aaron realized he was staring and felt incredibly uncomfortable that he was just staring into Jack's eyes.  Before he got kicked or hit, he would need to move.  Back up to his feet, he then leaned upon the desk and just sort of stared at the wall.  It was a strange conflict in him, like a friction in his stomach.  Why did he always have to feel so strange..?  Emotions were hard to process and left him feeling almost overwhelmed.

[Guest]

Fingers stilled against the keyboard where he lingered in a nervous haze, waiting--waiting for a scapegoat. But he already knew he had tumbled down the ladder; it was obvious. There was no pretending otherwise. His voice was even shaking. It wasn't like Aaron wouldn't notice. "Jack, what's wrong?" See, there it was. Whether it was for the better or not, at least he didn't have to explain anything. Just hold up the red flag and press the pause button. It was cool. There wouldn't be a storm of questions or a prank 9-1-1 call. It was comforting sometimes to know that there was someone who understood. Especially right now when breathing was agonizing. He let his eyes slide closed, holding up a finger.

"Your face," he managed to struggle out, shutting the laptop. "'m done." He took a shaky breath, long, disorganized, leaning far back in the chair. It would be nice if he could order his nerves down--inhale lavender or something, but when he got like this... In the clutches of having an attack, he almost certainly couldn't get too far away from it. Courting the edge, it only made his heart beat harder, risking it more. He dodged Aaron's eyes, with a fool's laugh, blinking blue. After a time of silence, his friend moved the fuck away before Jack gathered himself enough to retort with a sexual innuendo. Unfortunately, he couldn't put his glorious lines to use and had to make due with bringing up something he never actually wanted to.
"It's called angina pectoris...apparently."

Aaron didn't really know about it because this wasn't Jack's body. Nope, not his. Just a lender. They were a sorry bunch, digging in with teeth and nails, fighting to the bitter end. And damn was it getting a bit bitter. His pulse slowed enough to think clearly, but the surmounting pain was still cackling in the background of each breath he took. If he ignored it, he felt better. He just had to let his automail heart do the work and load up on toprol later. Keep calm. He took another deep breath, suppressing the urge to freak out, hop in his car, drive home, and overdose on the drug. It was just pain. It was physically impossible for it to turn into a Myocardial infarction. He didn't have a heart to have a heart attack with for heaven's sake. Calm the fuck down, Jack. Okay, alright, just take it slow and it'll all go away.

"'Kay so, what's left?"

[Csilla Angelis]

{BUMP}

[Sponsored content]