Babe, are you seriously putting a window above my physical well-being?
[ Being with you is suffering and ruination, Jack. Suffering and ruination. ]
Information. Or you, too. I'm finding out more information on this Seelie pimp-mama. Snags girls from countrysides and force them into sex. Ring any bells?
Of course not. But I will put my window above your boots.
[One for the other. Remember that. But he does turn a little more serious for the subject at hand.]
I've only been there a couple of times in the past few months, but Kyrianna would be a good place to start. Some girls who come to Mair find themselves in similar circumstances, unfortunately. Every sin is present in the city. But if she's actively going outside of Mair and stealing them from their beds, that should narrow it down.
[There's a range of reactions to that question, no matter how small, no matter how quickly he tries to hide them. There's surprise, then an anger that could've been explosive, but it dies into pure hurt.
The worst part is that he's not sure he has a right to feel any of it. Hasn't he used women before? Been manipulative and insincere. He remembers the conversation he had with Lucinda once. You can’t actually ever have me. You know that.
He swallows hard, looks at Johnny like he's facing a firing squad.]
[ And the hurt, right there, is the worst, worst thing he ever sees. He knows Jack wouldn't do a thing like that -- his lover has many flaws and Johnny knows this is not one of them. He adores him for it, and he moves forward, alarmed. ]
No! No, of course not! [ He shouldn't have asked this question, he knows. No matter what Jack's done, Johnny knows in his gut that this isn't something he would engage in, not this way. He meets his gaze squarely, certainly. ] I didn't think you'd do something like that. I just -- wanted to make sure.
If you wanted to make sure, then you obviously thought I might be.
[And there the anger flares. Jack knows he should answer it and lay it to rest, but now he feels spiteful. His eyes narrow and look away, unnaturally bright now. Johnny always believed the best in him, even when it wasn't true. Now it feels tarnished.]
[ It feels better, really, for Jack to get angry with him -- because Johnny very obviously says the dumbest things at the most wrong time. It had never crossed his mind that Jack would actively do such a thing; he doesn't need an answer because he knows what it is. But Jack's furious and Johnny doesn't quite know what to do. ]
Babe, come on. I didn't think you would be, okay? You're better than that. I'm sorry I asked such a dumb question; I wasn't thinking at all.
[Didn't think that Jack would do something like that, didn't think before he speaks. It's always been Johnny's way.]
They're my employees, Johnny, not my property. I arranged for them to be trained to handle anyone who tried to treat them as such, and they're free to go at any time. And if that's not clear enough, no, I don't kidnap or force them to do anything.
I know. I'm sorry. [ Johnny might be a hothead, rash and impulsive, but even he knows when he's fucked up big time, and now is one of them. He can hear it, the hurt that rings in his voice, masked with anger. He's cracked something between them, made it terrible, and he rubs at his face.
One day, he'll stop fucking up what's becoming one of the most precious things to him, too. He still believes the best in Jack, still adores everything about him, even the parts that are hard to love. ] I'm a big dumbass for even asking that, and you should, like, kick me or something. Free kicks. I'll let you do that.
[It's hard to want to kick Johnny himself when he seems to be doing plenty of it on his own, so clearly regretting the question. Jack sighs, trying to bleed some of the tension and anger out of him.]
You can keep yelling at me, you know. I messed up. [ And Jack wouldn't be wrong for doing it, for hurting him the way Johnny had so very accidentally hurt Jack. ]
I don't want to yell at you, I don't want to kick you. I don't want to be angry with you.
[And that's sort of new, surprising. This ability to forgive...it's a part of something special, something Jack suspects but won't pin the name to yet.]
[ Sort of new? This is very new. Johnny stares at him in open surprise, unsure what to make of what he's hearing from Jack. They would've fought about this normally, and Jack would've drawn blood, and Johnny is worried. ]
[ Because there will be rumors of a playboy baron partying it up, buying girls to catch the attention of the leader. Reports of wild nights, perhaps, from a courtesan or two who wants to curry favor with Jack. ]
[ But in this, Jack is not alone. It terrifies Johnny, too -- but he doesn't want to run away, not now. He's in too deep, and being apart from him actually hurts a little.
Johnny touches his screen briefly, tracing over the lines of his face with a faint smile. ]
No matter what you hear, there's only you. [ He bites his lip. ] I'm going to take her out and make her disappear.
[ He loves when Jack has such faith in him, when he believes in him without question -- and he understands, now, how much it hurt Jack when Johnny thoughtlessly asked him the one question he never needed to ask.
Johnny bites his lip; he'll make it up to his lover the best way he can. ] With all the extra crispy bacon on top of the fluffiest eggs you can have. Kiwis?
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[He doesn't ask for much, Johnny.
Just for you to protect his brothel with life and limb.]
What for?
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[ Being with you is suffering and ruination, Jack. Suffering and ruination. ]
Information. Or you, too. I'm finding out more information on this Seelie pimp-mama. Snags girls from countrysides and force them into sex. Ring any bells?
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Of course not. But I will put my window above your boots.
[One for the other. Remember that. But he does turn a little more serious for the subject at hand.]
I've only been there a couple of times in the past few months, but Kyrianna would be a good place to start. Some girls who come to Mair find themselves in similar circumstances, unfortunately. Every sin is present in the city. But if she's actively going outside of Mair and stealing them from their beds, that should narrow it down.
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You don't do that, right? Take girls against their will and force them to work for you?
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The worst part is that he's not sure he has a right to feel any of it. Hasn't he used women before? Been manipulative and insincere. He remembers the conversation he had with Lucinda once. You can’t actually ever have me. You know that.
He swallows hard, looks at Johnny like he's facing a firing squad.]
Do you think me capable of that?
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No! No, of course not! [ He shouldn't have asked this question, he knows. No matter what Jack's done, Johnny knows in his gut that this isn't something he would engage in, not this way. He meets his gaze squarely, certainly. ] I didn't think you'd do something like that. I just -- wanted to make sure.
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[And there the anger flares. Jack knows he should answer it and lay it to rest, but now he feels spiteful. His eyes narrow and look away, unnaturally bright now. Johnny always believed the best in him, even when it wasn't true. Now it feels tarnished.]
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[ It feels better, really, for Jack to get angry with him -- because Johnny very obviously says the dumbest things at the most wrong time. It had never crossed his mind that Jack would actively do such a thing; he doesn't need an answer because he knows what it is. But Jack's furious and Johnny doesn't quite know what to do. ]
Babe, come on. I didn't think you would be, okay? You're better than that. I'm sorry I asked such a dumb question; I wasn't thinking at all.
[ Come on, come on, Jack. Look at him. ]
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[Didn't think that Jack would do something like that, didn't think before he speaks. It's always been Johnny's way.]
They're my employees, Johnny, not my property. I arranged for them to be trained to handle anyone who tried to treat them as such, and they're free to go at any time. And if that's not clear enough, no, I don't kidnap or force them to do anything.
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One day, he'll stop fucking up what's becoming one of the most precious things to him, too. He still believes the best in Jack, still adores everything about him, even the parts that are hard to love. ] I'm a big dumbass for even asking that, and you should, like, kick me or something. Free kicks. I'll let you do that.
[ He sighs. ] It was such a stupid question.
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Stop.
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[And that's sort of new, surprising. This ability to forgive...it's a part of something special, something Jack suspects but won't pin the name to yet.]
Just do your mission and come home.
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Are you -- um. Really?
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[Jack meets his eyes, one brow arching at his lover's dubious expression.]
You don't need me to spell that out too, do you?
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[ He's quiet for a moment. ]
Do you trust me? For this mission?
[ Because there will be rumors of a playboy baron partying it up, buying girls to catch the attention of the leader. Reports of wild nights, perhaps, from a courtesan or two who wants to curry favor with Jack. ]
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[It's barely a whisper, but Jack looks at him steadily, refusing to be afraid of this. Always refusing to run.]
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Johnny touches his screen briefly, tracing over the lines of his face with a faint smile. ]
No matter what you hear, there's only you. [ He bites his lip. ] I'm going to take her out and make her disappear.
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[Jack wants to see this woman removed permanently.]
You're making me breakfast in bed when you get home.
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Johnny bites his lip; he'll make it up to his lover the best way he can. ] With all the extra crispy bacon on top of the fluffiest eggs you can have. Kiwis?
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