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About a month now. [He pauses, then;] Winston and Lena were here when I arrived, but they've disappeared. From what I can tell, that's not uncommon.

...Reaper's still here.

Edited 2016-11-16 14:12 (UTC)

[So Reaper wasn't bending the truth. She hums a bit in consideration, though he can probably feel that frown about Winston and Lena.]

Winston and Lena... they disappeared? [Well isn't that unsettling. It's troublesome enough that they're stuck here, but now they have to contend with randomly disappearing?]

...I know. I spoke with him a little while ago. [Actually spoke. No bullets or punches flying or anything.]

Yeah. Went back, if people can be believed. [There's some dubiousness there; he's not convinced. But he understands he won't get answers now, even if he won't give up on them.

Though.

Ana's admission draws forth a subtle swell of something, like an ocean wave rising but now quite cresting. It's something quiet and angry, though it's not directed at her.]

Yeah?

So, there's a way to go back. [She goes quiet for a moment, processing what he said. There's some doubt of her own creeping through from her side, as well as some frustration; more answers that just create more questions.]

[She doesn't ponder on that too much, not when she feels that swell of emotion from Jack's side.]

Yes. We had a much more civil conversation than what we had in Giza.

They say the more crystals you fill, the higher chance it's gonna happen. As for how to do that... [...she already got the run-down, so. He's absolutely willing to go in to what he knows of it, but for now, there's more important things.

He doesn't doubt her. But he doubts Reyes. And so-] You all right?

[She's gotten a run-down of how the crystals work, though she'd like to to actually see it with her own eyes to confirm the validity of that information. But that's not as important right now.]

[His concern has a bit of warmth bleeding in from her end.]

I'm alright, Jack. I'm not so old as to not be able to handle myself. [Said with a bit of that familiar tease to it. However, when she speaks again, it's a bit more serious.]

Are you able to meet somewhere? As convenient as these crystals are, I wouldn't mind speaking face to face.

I can. Where are you? [Let's just. Get straight to the point then. Seeing her in person will calm what nerves he has, anyway.]

Edited (thing posted before i was done :| but w/e) 2016-11-16 21:23 (UTC)

I'm in the city right now, but I have a place in mind. [She sends him the name of a little cafe not far from her current location.]

[If it's Steambucks he's demanding they go somewhere else. Like the Cafe Bean.]

I'll be there in fifteen.

[Probably sooner~~, but he's not activating his sprint for this~~]

I'll see you there, Jack.

[Fortunately for him it's not a Steambucks, but a little street-corner coffee shop. She's already sitting down at one of the tables inside, a cup of tea ordered for herself. She's pretty easy to spot, but for his sake chose a table that's a bit tucked away from the rest of the bustle of the cafe.]

[You're lucky he's gotten over the worst of his paranoia. He's still not taking off his mask, maybe part of him assuming they're going to meet there and go elsewhere - another part reminding him that there's no one to hide from here. It seems like anyone who'd matter already knows whom he is, but at the same time...

At the same time, the (ex-)vigilante that slips in stays to the walls out of habit, moving with a subtle fluidity that comes with needing to stay unnoticed. At least, until he cares to be seen and to (usually) scare the shit out of someone. He's no Reaper, but when you learn this out of necessity, you tend to get decent at it.

Upon seeing Ana, though...he swallows down a bittersweet feeling, an unseen shade of pink coloring his crystal further. Shoving it all back down for the moment, he follows her lead, taking a seat and trying not to feel...

Exposed? Uncomfortable. This sort of public causality isn't him, not anymore. Even so...]

A week, huh.

[Took you that long to track him down, or to realize he was here?]

[She's in the middle of taking a sip of tea when he sits down before her, and when she lowers it, there's a warm smile sent his way. She's not about to ask him to take off his mask here; just because she's fine with showing his face doesn't mean he is. She's glad he showed up at all, really.]

It took some time to get settled and figure out how things work around here. That, and, well, you're a hard man to keep track of when you want.

[She knew he was here since her chat with Reaper, but it was another matter entirely figuring out the crystals, and then how to single out one person. Even then, it still took her some time to actually find him.]

Not much reason to be tracked. [Nobody knows him here, and up until however many minutes ago, there was no one in particular he cared to see. At this point he's made some 'allies', but really, he doesn't have anyone he'd consider a 'friend'.

...except maybe the person across from him. He didn't need to keep up the metaphorical masks when it was just him and Ana - she was his second for a multitude of reasons - and so they drop just a bit. Public space or not, there's a little bit of easing as he looks her over.

God, she's gotten old. They both have. Even what he saw of Reyes, however briefly...he pushes the thought from his head. At least for the moment, anyway.]

You got any lingering questions? Winston gave me a couple names to follow up with. [Most of whom he hasn't, yet. No real excuse for that other than trying to do it all on his own.]

[She takes some time to actually look over Jack... or, well, as much as she could with his mask on. He still looks as he had when she'd spoken to him last (which, for her, wasn't long before she arrived in Verens), though he still held that air of weariness to him, whether he saw it or not. The air of a soldier who's been long at war, and despite being worn likely wouldn't know how to rest.]

[She hardly blames him, of course, not after everything that had happened. But it's still a little disheartening, seeing a man once full of pride and inspiration now little more than a vigilante.]

There's a few things that I wouldn't mind getting some more information about. [Getting right down to business... that was Jack's style. She's interested in those names, but she's got something else on the forefront of her mind. She sets her tea down and leans forward, her lone eye fixing him with a concerned look he probably hadn't seen in a long time.]

How have you been doing, Jack? I hear you've been here longer than I have.

[This is not the kind of question he was expecting to be asked, Ana.

...though, considering who it is, maybe he should have expected it. She's always been good at reading him, and, apparently, it hasn't rusted in the time between. He can almost imagine it's twenty-five years ago and she's giving him one of those ever-patient looks with both eyes, and him offering the same kind of shrug he is now- though then he didn't feel a twinge of guilt.

No. He would have, just on...other things.]

I'm fine. Restless.

[Bored? No. Just not used to...quiet.]

[Of course it probably wasn't what he had expected to be asked; it wasn't always all business with Ana. Even back when she was still working under him as his second-in-command, she always took some time to ask her team members how they were faring. Sometimes when jobs got rough and things became hectic, simple things like asking one's well-being were forgotten.]

[And she remembered how stubborn Jack could be, even back then. His shrug as the corners of her mouth twitching upward. Some things just didn't change, really.]

Not taking the opportunity to have a nice retirement? [Said in that familiar jesting tone.] Although, I suppose in being brought here, we've just traded one mystery for another.

I'm not retired.

[~~He's dead, Ana.~~ But all that aside, he nods slightly leaning back in his chair.]

What do you make of it? Seems...

[He makes a vague gesture. Outlandish, if he hadn't been welcomed by a talking gorilla and thought that was absolutely acceptable.]

[~~Stop being so dramatic geez she's concerned about you.~~]

Ridiculous? Outlandish? Hard to believe? Why not all of the above. [Seriously, there were some days where she still had to wonder if she was dreaming all of this.]

I don't know what's more unbelievable; being brought to this place, or knowing a few people here already. [Because what were the odds of her, Jack, and Gabe all being here?]

[~~Dress like the exbae act like the exbae~~

He nods at that, tilting his head slightly. Too bad Winston and Tracer aren't around, they'd really get a kick out of seeing her, he thinks. And be more...welcome faces, as opposed to, say.]

You said you spoke with Reaper.

I have. He had a fair bit to say about this city. Though I take it he's not too happy to see me here.

[The corners of her mouth twitch down into a slight frown, and she takes a moment to take a sip of her tea. She uses the pause to choose her next words carefully, speaking once she lowers that cup.]

He's under the impression that you are to blame for whatever happened to him. He said similar back in Giza. I do not know where he gets this claim, but that seems to be what he believes.

I know that things were not ideal for us back then. But before I was injured, we were still a team. We still trusted one another, looked out for one another. I only know what the media reported of that night, but I know there's much more going on than that. [She leans forward a bit, peering at Jack, trying to see the face beneath that visor.]

Jack... what happened to you two? [There's no blame in her voice, no accusation. She truly wants to know what could have caused such horrible scars to be left on two of her closest friends.]

[His brow furrows at the information. Not the first time he's heard it by any means, but even so. He honestly can't understand why Gabriel thinks that. Maybe no he can understand why he came after him, but at the same time- there's so much bitterness behind it, the painful thought of if he'd had just done his job instead of obsessing about mine-

Ana's tea may find itself spoiling by the second. 76's eyes can just be seen under his visor, a bit distant before they refocus and he shakes his head.]

Things went bad.

[A simple statement. And with an edge of I don't want to talk about this.]

[A simple statement, sure, and Ana can't help but think how much of an understatement that was. That frown deepens a bit.]

What could have caused things to turn so bad? You and Gabriel were so close. Talk to me, Jack. What happened between you two after I was gone?

[The tea gets a glance, but is otherwise unnoticed. She can see Jack doesn't want to talk, but she wants to try and see what she can get him to talk about.]

[He's changed since they knew each other, but old habits - old tells in his body language - stay the same. The way his fingers flex in and out of a fist. The way his eyes - not that they can be seen very well - remain narrow, one can just imagine the tightening of his mouth under his mask. Finally, his voice, when he speaks, is tight- roughened with age, but tense for all it's staying even.]

He didn't talk. Drew in himself. Felt like the only time I'd hear him speak was when he was delivering an AAR, and that's if he bothered to show up. [A glance to the side.] This's putting aside the talk of that side itself going bad.

[That's another tell- he heard the rumors about Blackwatch, but he didn't want to believe them. Fought against them.

Has since realized what a fool he was.]

Edited 2016-11-24 22:01 (UTC)

[Things have changed, yes, but many of the same habits are still there. She knows he's not happy talking about this, that this contained flare of fury is caused by something that has left scars and bad memories. She can practically see the distaste and anger, and she doesn't even need a world that manifests emotions physically to do so.]

[However, the details cause Ana's lone eye to narrow in confusion, her brow to furrow.]

That doesn't sound like Gabriel. He normally wouldn't just withdraw like that... [Sure he wasn't the most social of folks, but completely withdrawing like Jack said? If something was wrong, Gabriel would let Jack know.]

The media mentioned something about Blackwatch turning bad. I had thought it was merely them using a convenient scapegoat to pin the blame on.

Thought he just needed some space, at first. [ha. ha. ha. All he did was give Reyes more time to plan - whatever it was. The bomb? No, he doesn't think so, despite what Gabriel may think- you wouldn't try and blow up the same organization you were trying to take over. Of course, considering he's been executing former members...

He closes his eyes for a long moment, letting out a slow breath.]

Blackwatch. Reyes. Overwatch itself. I don't know, Ana. But I've been trying to find out. This place's just taking me away from that.

[And he Doesn't. Like. It.]

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nanoscope - 2016-11-28 21:57 (UTC) - Expand