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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[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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