needshumility | 1.1.01.01.015: reboot.

Entry tags:

1.1.01.01.015: reboot.

[Private to Jane]

Jane. Jane, I found something in my valise.

I think you should see it. It says we can get out of here using it, with the paints and everything.

It might be a trick, but it's worth lookin... [There's the sound of paper crinkling as he opens the envelope. Then deafening silence.

Five minutes of deafening silence. Eddie then adds, in a very, very small voice.]

It's a trick.

It's a trick. Oh...

[he clicks off.]

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[Rather than reply, Jane headed down to Eddie's room and knocked twice on the door. She had been staying in her room most of the day anyway, as she woke up with a very unflattering look. One eyebrow does not suit her.]

Eddie, it's Jane.

[Eddie was clutching the ticket tightly and wiped his hand across his face, trying to hide the fact he'd been crying. That... was not good.

In fact, he didn't know if he could face anyone right now.]

Go away, Jane. Please. Go away.

[That didn't sound good. She knocked harder.] I will break the door down, Red. Open it. [After that threat, she actually tried the door handle. As a warning.]

[He ignored the door for a moment, and it was locked, but shouldn't be easy to break down,]

No, Jane. No, leave me alone.

[He just kept staring at the tickets.]

[She sighed and took a step back, eyeing the door. He was going to have to get a new lock. Or something. She kicked at it as hard as she could and glanced around to make sure no one saw. It didn't break just yet. Without too long of a hesitation, she kicked at it again, hearing the satisfying crunch of wood splintering. She was worried about Eddie but, at the same time, she was having fun.]

[He was just sat over his desk, staring at the tickets, head stuck between his hands. He'd expected her to break in, so didn't even look up. She never listened.]

It was a trick, Jane.

[She shut the door haphazardly behind her and practically sauntered in before seeing him at the desk. Pulling a chair beside him, she sat down and leaned back, trying to catch her breath.] What was a trick? What happened?

[Eddie didn't look up, and just wordlessly stuck a hand with the envelope and the tickets in out for her to take. The tickets were outside the envelope, and were tickets for the Night Train. The envelope had a message professing how this was a solution to all their problems.]

[She saw the tickets and stood up, throwing the tickets as hard as she could. But, as they were paper, they didn't go very far. And it wasn't satisfying at all. So, instead, she kicked the wall as hard as she could.] That..dickhead. What was he trying to prove? [Because, of course, she blamed the Admiral.]

[He just looked up at her, the emotion all too evident in his eyes,]

Trying to prove that I crushed their hope, as well as their lives. I gave them a way out, then took it away from them.

And that hurts.

[She tried not to show that her foot was hurting as she sat back down, still angry.]

But that's cruel. You already knew what you had done and you were trying to fix it.

[He buried his head in his hands.]

Maybe I didn't take it seriously enough. Maybe I knew what I did, but not how... gutting it feels to have it done.

[He tried not to sob over his desk, and keep it together,]

As it's... awful, Jane. This is... how must they have felt when they got to Reboot? When everything I promised them was a lie?

[Jane leaned forward, gently putting a hand on his arm.] Eddie, stop. [She rubbed at her face, trying to figure out how to explain this.]

It's not how they felt. At least they were together. And they're going to make it out because of you. Because of what you're doing here.

Oh yes, they're together as they die, that's a vast improvement on me just saying 'no, stop' and...

[And screwing everyone over, himself and Jane included,]

I know, Jane. I know. But... but... [He ran his hand down his face,] I've got to help them.

Well, what's worse? Dying like that or having one wait around forever under some stupid notion that they'll come back soon? You're not useful if you're pining. [And there she stopped herself when she saw how upset he was about it all. She had promised to be more mindful of that and so she took a deep breath and calmed herself down.]

You are helping them. [She finally did reach out to give him a hug.]

[She had a point, but it didn't quite sink in, as he was a little upset, and returned her hug tightly,]

...What if we get sent to Reboot? What... what if that happens? [He hadn't thought about it before, but now he couldn't get away with it.]

We won't. [She said it very factually.] We have ways to fight against them. Namely...knowledge. [She shrugged before pulling away.] We know what Reboot is and that's more than they think we know.

Which gives us an advantage.

No, but that doesn't stop it happening.

[He frowned and looked down at the tickets,]

As this is what's happening if we fail.

[She shrugged.] It stops us from willingly getting on that train. It stops us from sitting there, doing nothing. They expect you to go willingly. They don't want you to fight back. And if we did, then they wouldn't know what to do.

[Eddie pauses,]

Jane. Rule 5.2.02.02.018: Yellows are permitted to break Rules in the pursuit of Rule Breakers.

[another pause.] They can do anything they like, and that's probably more dangerous when they don't know what to do.

[She shook her head. Jane always had answers.]

I know the Yellows in East Carmine. You leave them to me. If it even comes to that. You're not getting sent to Reboot. Not with your status. And I have a place to go if I am, remember?

[He nods a little,]

You've got a point but... [He just stared at where one of the tickets had landed on the floor,]

Damn.

[She looked to where his stare was and walked over, picking it up to rip it almost delicately in half.]

Fuck it, Eddie. [The Barge was teaching her new ways to use those Very Bad Words.]

[He watched her for a very long moment,]

You're right. Fuck it. [That sounded so weird to him. So, so weird.]

Thank you.

[pause]

Don't leave.

I'm not. [She reached up to rub where her eyebrow used to be.] I'm staying away for as long as this lasts.

[She made herself comfortable again in her chair.]

[He looked up and finally saw that eyebrow, then laughed, just a touch bitterly,]

Wait, so... you got your eyebrow ripped off, like Jabez. And I got left tickets to Reboot.

[He frowned, and then laughed again,] How is that fair?

[She glared at him.]

Fair? Nothing's fair. And don't laugh. This flood is ridiculous. And cruel.

You don't need to tell me that. [He frowned and folded his arms in mild frustration,]

But we...

So, what is it, a revenge flood?

It seems like it. Are we supposed to feel regret? [She certainly didn't, but she knew Eddie did already.]

I do. But I did before.

[He paused] I can't imagine you do, though. [After a longer pause, thinking about how she might react to that, he added carefully,] Not that you should. He should have seen that coming.

[She shrugged at that.] Probably. I would do it again if I had the chance.

Not to you, though.

I imagine, if you were going to do it to me, Jane, you'd have done it that day in Vermillion.

[And he felt just a little flattered and a little better to know it.]

[She shook her head at that.] Too many witnesses. I wasn't supposed to be there, remember? It would have been in Rusty Hill and you would have called it an accident.

[He frowns,] You mean like that time you tried to kill me?

I appreciate your forward thinking, Jane. [So very sarcastic.]

Exactly. I thought that would be a better punishment. [She put a hand on his arm again.]

I wouldn't do that now, of course. And I only tried to kill you the second time because... [She loved him.] It would save us.

[He looked up at her a little skeptically,] It'd be nice if I knew that before getting half eaten by a plant.

[He shrugged,] It's alright, really. [He kind of knew the reasons for her doing it, and put his hand on hers for a moment,] You did save us, after all.

That wouldn't be as fun. [She looked down to their hands.]

I would miss you if you really did die.

[After a long moment of thought, he said, taking her hand in his,]

I wouldn't know what to do if you died.

[Since they were alone, she kissed him. She thought he needed it.]

You'd do the Grand Plan without me.

[He nodded softly,] I would. I would.

[He was convincing himself more than anything.]

But the Grand Plan is ours, really.

It doesn't matter. I'm not going to die. [She put a hand on his cheek.] That's not part of the Plan.

[He looked up at her with a slight smile,]

If that became part of the Plan, I'd worry, Jane.

You never know. [She paused.]

Did I ever introduce you to those people after the Ishihara? I mean...before you came.

[Eddie shook his head,]

No. I'd... maybe I'd rather meet them after, anyway.

[He had things to make amends for first. He'd feel too guilty and inadequate, meeting all those people she knew otherwise.]

I'm not telling you anything. But...I didn't know when you left.

[She smirked at him.]

Ah, right. Well, keep it a surprise for me, will you?

[Pause]

Not that I like them often, but this I can take.

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1.1.01.01.015: reboot.

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