IC Inbox

[grammascookies]

Hello. You have reached Ana Amari. If you need anything, do not hesitate to ask. I will do what I can.

Comments

idk some...time...

[mylawn]

We should talk.

hang in there

[grammascookies]

In private, I presume? I will save my other questions for when they are appropriate.

Re: hang in there

[mylawn]

Wanted to see how you were settling in. Where's your room?

[grammascookies]

Coming to visit me in my room already? I believe my number is Nomo Seven.

[Of course she's teasing but she also feels like Soldier isn't going to actually take a joke.]

[mylawn]

[More like it flies right over his head. Where else is he supposed to visit her???]

Unless your roommate's in or you'd rather meet somewhere else.

[grammascookies]

[Jack, please. Really.]

My room is perfectly fine, unless you would prefer your own.

[mylawn]

Yours. ETA 10 mins.

[He's still punctual, at least, with the knock on her door coming almost exactly ten minutes after he sends his message. It's a particular knock, but perhaps a familiar one, given the fact that they're both soldiers and over the course of their shared careers, sometimes secret codes come in handy. It's the on that means it's him, and that he's alone.]

[grammascookies]

[Old soldiers never die, for sure.

Ana opens up the door and sticks her head out, mostly looking both ways. Secrecy is paramount, even if she's sure Jack already has it covered.]

Come in. You are in the clear.

[mylawn]

[Maybe he's a little offended, because of course he made sure he wasn't followed or being watched. It's not something he wants to start a fight about, however, and he's quick to step in the door after she makes sure they're clear. He closes it behind him, then goes for his mask. For whatever reason, it doesn't feel right to wear it around her.]

Thought we could do some catching up.

[A little more than they already have.]

[grammascookies]

[She closes the door behind him, finally giving him a smile. It's the kind reserved for the two in private, for the moment. Mostly so people don't start asking questions.]

We could always do that, yes. And I have questions of my own too, Jack.

[mylawn]

[People not asking questions is, of course, his ideal situation, though he knows they're going to start sooner rather than later. He gets right to making himself at home, but mostly that just means taking off his equipment harness and starting to work on the headpiece and mount for his mask. When Ana says that she has questions, he manages to look a little bit surprised.]

What do you want to know?

[He has no problem with letting her go first--talking about what he came here to talk about isn't exactly going to be easy, so he has no complaints about stalling.]

[grammascookies]

If you do not mind, we can save that for after whatever you wish to speak about.

[But she's honestly worried about Jack's mental status. It couldn't be easy looking at old friends but pushing them to the side and making sure they didn't know who you were.]

[mylawn]

No, you should ask.

[Because now he's curious, and he's not going to be able to launch into more talk about Reaper until he knows what she wants to ask him about. He'll just try to turn this around on her, inviting himself to sit on her roommate's bed.

What they don't know what hurt them.]

I wanted to check on how you were doing.

[Adjusting. Settling in. Coming to terms with being space kidnapped, that sort of thing.]

[grammascookies]

If you insist.

[She wasn't going to argue the point, to say the least.]

Jack. How do you keep your emotional stability, knowing your old friends are together and enjoying themselves while you distance yourself from them? That....I do believe that would do a number on me. More than I would care to admit.

[mylawn]

that's my secret ana

[mylawn]

[Oh. Well, okay. That isn't exactly a question he expected to be asked, and the fact that he's just been caught off-guard is more than evident on his face.]

Wouldn't say they're enjoying themselves.

[McCree in particular is having a hell of a time, it seems like. Still, he has no idea how to answer this question, mostly because he has no idea how to begin to address his issues--he's a little hard-pressed to even admit they exist. He can't help but perhaps take this as her subtly urging him to come clean to the rest of them, so when he speaks, it's with conviction.]

They're safer if I just stay dead, Ana. That's what's important.

[grammascookies]

Are they? Or is that a rationalization you made up for yourself?

[She shakes her head once. Not judgmentally but more questioning things.]

I am not trying to second-guess you by the way. But as your partner, I do need to explore every option.

[mylawn]

[Well, it's sort of a rationalization he's made up for himself, but in his world, that doesn't make it any less true. He's thinking in broader terms, ones where they get off this spaceship and go back home and get thrust back into the political realities of their world. The only thing he can imagine will happen if he comes back to life is the assurance that the UN will take everyone he was ever close to and drag them all down with him.]

I won't have anyone use our people to get to me.

[He likes to think that's something she'll understand.]

[grammascookies]

[She'll understand because she has to, not because she wants to. While putting others in danger was certainly something to be cautious about, she also felt that everyone working together made a stronger front.]

Someday, you may find yourself in a situation where you may have to make a difficult decision. Just keep that in mind.

[Ana settled herself a little more since her question was answered.]

Now, what was it you wished to speak about?

[mylawn]

[Jack has worked with Ana--been confidants--long enough to know when she isn't buying what he's saying. Years ago, he would have been glad for this. A commander shouldn't surround himself with yes men, after all; he needed those conflicting opinions.]

I know.

[Now, however, it's frustrating, not that he expected her to agree with him on this. He knows that she's right, that eventually he will have to make a choice, but he'll own his decisions when the time comes. Jack has never been one to shy away from responsibility, pretending to be dead nonwithstanding. You can't have responsibilities if you're dead.]

Settling in okay?

[grammascookies]

Well enough. Touching base with everyone has been an experience.

[Especially with some people. Thankfully, she came off mostly positive, even if there were some sour notes here and there.]

Things can only get easier from this point on. Any difficulties encountered later will pale next to watching Reinhardt look like a sad puppy.

[That last sentence came with a small smirk. But watching the big guy get all emotional was never an easy experience.]

[mylawn]

[Yeah, 76 can only imagine how that went.]

I'm sure they're glad to have you back.

[Why wouldn't they be? Maybe the pang in his chest is jealousy, that she can just step back into their lives. He tells himself it's not a luxury he can afford. He'll live--they all will.

But that's not what he's here to talk about, not really.]

Have you found Reyes?

[grammascookies]

...perhaps. I will take it as a plus that he did not try to kill me.

[She sighs. Really, she wished she could resolve this thing peacefully. She was aware of a rift between the two. However, her awareness was not exactly in line with reality.]

I hope I can do something about him.

[mylawn]

Color me surprised.

[Seeing as he's attacked pretty much everyone else, to 76's knowledge. Rift is a bit of an understatement.]

Not sure what there is to be done, outside of putting him down.

[Something that he mostly just failed to do.]

[grammascookies]

Jack...

[Her view isn't as colored as his. Perhaps in the future, it would be. But for now, Ana wants to hope for the best between these old friends.]

...can you not remember when we all worked together? With a little push, I am sure we can get Gabriel to remember to. Loyalty built on the battlefield will surpass anything else.